


It Takes a Village

by z_Bohemian_Butterfly_z



Category: Major Crimes (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2020-09-23 11:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 25,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20339167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/z_Bohemian_Butterfly_z/pseuds/z_Bohemian_Butterfly_z
Summary: Six years after the death of his wife, Andy Flynn crosses paths with Sharon Raydor. He doesn't know why or expect anything to come from it, but as time go on, she becomes more and more a part of not only his life, but the life of his kids too. Sharon, in a complicated situation of her own, also finds herself strangely drawn towards this widower and his children in this story of love in all it's messy, sometimes painful, and wonderful glory.





	1. Seven Minutes

A/N: This is just a prologue to give y’all some background information before we dive into this Shandy adventure.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters or M/C, but if I did, this is what would happen.

Prologue: Seven Minutes

March 1989

It was a particularly stormy night by Los Angeles standards. Sandra Flynn had left her two children, almost four year old, Nicole, and one year old, Brandon, in the care of a neighbor while she made a quick trip to the supermarket. They needed diapers, eggs, and bread and it didn’t look like her husband, Andy, would be home anytime soon. As a Sergeant with the LAPD Robbery Homicide unit, he worked quite a few late nights, this one being no exception. She knew the schedule of a police officer was prone to be erratic, but something within the last year had definitely changed. Andy would come home later and later, if at all, and when he did, the stench of bourbon on him was more often than not overwhelmingly present. They’d fought about it constantly since shortly after Brandon was born. It was always the same argument. Sandra told Andy he drank too much and that he wasn’t there enough for his family and he would always respond with the fact that someone had to financially support this family. More often than not lately, it would end with anger on her part and slammed doors on Andy’s as he continued to run away from both his family and his drinking problem.

As the stoplight turned green on the streets of downtown Los Angeles, Sandra Flynn began to slowly make her way across the intersection, when all of a sudden, a car came barreling through the intersection from the other direction and sent Sandra’s car sliding across the slick intersection until it finally came to a stop as it came into very sharp contact with the pole of the traffic light and everything went black.  
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Sandra awoke a few minutes later to the sound of sirens and a crew of firefighters jogging towards her car. One of the firefighters, whose nametag she couldn’t quite make out, began speaking to her as paramedics assessed her body for what kind of injuries the impact had caused. It didn’t take long for Sandra to notice the grim looks on everyone’s faces. 

“What’s your name?” Sandra managed to get out.

“What?” asked the firefighter as he struggled to hear the injured woman over all the noise around them.

“Your name. I can’t quite make it out there on your nametag and something tells me we’ll be getting to know each other quite well before this is done and over with." Sandra told him.

“Connelly. Brian Connelly, ma’am,” answered the firefighter as he struggled to figure out what else to say to her.

“Brian, I’m a cop’s wife. I need you to be honest with me here, there’s no way I’m getting out of here without catastrophic and deadly blood loss, is there?” Sandra asked him. 

“No, ma’am. It’s pretty bad. As you may have been able to feel, a piece of metal went straight through your torso area right where many of your vital organs are,” explained Brian.

“Okay, Brian. I’m wondering if you could delay the extraction a bit until I can speak to my husband in person. His name is Andy Flynn. He’s a sergeant with the Robbery Homicide unit of the LAPD. It’s vitally important that I speak to him in person before you guys do whatever it is that you do,” Sandra told him.

“Hey Granger!” Brian yelled to one of the uniforms on scene.

“Whatcha need?” asked Granger.

“I need you to get in touch with someone at the PAB who can deliver an urgent message to Andy Flynn from the Robbery Homicide Division. Tell him that his wife’s been in an accident and that he needs to get down to the intersection where Figueroa meets 11th Street now,” Brian told the uniform before Granger ran back to his car to radio headquarters.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven minutes later, a police car came rolling up to the scene with lights and sirens blaring. Two men quickly jumped out of the car and headed towards the vehicle, flashing their badges along the way. 

A firefighter and a paramedic attempted to hold them back a moment before Andy yelled, “Let me go! That’s my wife over there!

“Hold on, Sergeant Flynn,” the firefighter told him as he continued to block their path forward.

“Sergeant Flynn. Before you go over there. We need to warn you about a couple things. Your wife’s car was t-boned and slid across the slick intersection until the force of the crash was stopped by the light pole over there. Her injuries are quite extensive-” explained the EMT before the other man, who one could only assume was his partner, interrupted him.

“So, what you’re saying is that she’s pinned, right?” asked the Sergeant’s partner.

“Unfortunately, yes-” replied the EMT before he was again interrupted.

“So, if she’s pinned, what the hell are you two doing standing over here? Why aren’t you over there trying to get her out of there?” the Sergeant’s partner asked them.

“Shut up for a minute, Provenza. Let him talk,” the Sergeant told his partner.

“Sergeant, the way your wife is pinned to the light pole is by a piece of metal debris that struck through her torso area. Once we extract her…” the firefighter trailed off.

“She’ll bleed out,” said Andy in a state of disbelief.

“Yes, sir. According to the guy from my crew over there, she asked us to wait to do the extraction until after she had spoken directly to you,” answered the firefighter.

“She’s conscious?” asked Andy.

“Yes, Sergeant. We just wanted to warn you about the extent of her injuries before you saw her,” said the EMT.

Andy began to walk past them towards the scene of the crash, as the EMT, the firefighter, and his partner followed behind him for a moment before hanging back a ways to give the Sergeant some space.

As he got closer, a firefighter that was hunched down towards the ground stood up and addressed him, “Hello, Sergeant. My name is Lieutenant Connelly. There’s someone here who would like to speak with you,” indicated the officer grimly as he went to step back to give the two a bit of privacy.

Andy grabbed the man’s arm to stop him before he asked the Lieutenant, “Does she know?”

“Yes, sir. She could tell it was bad. Told me to have them call you right away,” replied the Lieutenant.

“Okay, thanks,” Andy told him before he crouched down towards the ground until he could see his wife’s face.

“Hey,” Andy greeted her.

“Hi,” replied Sandra.

“I’m so sorry, Sandra. For everything,” Andy told her.

“This here isn’t anybody’s fault except the asshole that blew through the red light. Now, some of the other things that have happened over the last year. Quite a bit of it was your fault, but never mind that right this second. I need you to do some things for me, okay,” Sandra told him.

“Okay,” replied Andy.

“First, I need you to get yourself together. Go to rehab, AA, counseling, whatever you need to do to take care of this penchant you seem to have for large amounts of bourbon. It’s a problem, Andy, and we both know it. So, you need to do whatever you need to do to get well. If you won’t do it for yourself at this point, do it for Nicole and Brandon. I’m not gonna be around anymore to pick up the pieces and your children are gonna need their father. Now, more than ever. I need you to promise me that you’re gonna be around to take care of our children after you get help, okay,” said Sandra, leaving no room for argument.

“Okay,” replied Andy as he looked his wife in the eye.

“Listen, I know we haven’t been on the best of terms for a while now. Especially over this last year though. I just want you to know that no matter what’s happened the last few years, I love you. Maybe not the way I used to or the way you needed me to, but I love you so much for giving me those two precious babies of ours. They’re your responsibility now, Andy. Tell them that mommy will always love them and that she’ll always be in their heart and up in the sky. Raise them up to be good humans, Andy,” continued Sandra.

“Me too. I promise to do the best I can to raise our kids well and I promise to be always be the best dad I can be to them,” Andy told her.

“One more thing. Once you’re ready and the kids are a bit older and seem ready and you’re confident in your sobriety, I want you to find someone-” began Sandra before she could see Andy beginning to argue.

“I mean it, Andy. When we got married, we were still practically kids ourselves and we thought we knew what love was, but we didn’t, and as much as we both love our kids, that isn’t enough and we both know that. So, when the time is right, I want you to find a woman who will love you the way you deserve to be loved, Andy. I want you to find someone who you can build a life with and who will love those two babies of ours like they’re her own. More than anything else, I just want the three of you to be happy and loved. Can you do that for me?” asked Sandra.

“Yes. I promise. When the time is right,” answered Andy.

“Good. Now, this is the part where we say goodbye. I don’t want you to have to witness this next part. God knows you’ve probably seen plenty of scenes like this as a cop. No need to have this sort of image in your head. Take care of our babies and remember everything else I said, okay?” asked Sandra.

“Yeah. Just know that I will always love you and be grateful that you’ve given me two of the most precious gifts I could’ve ever asked for,” Andy told Sandra.

“Yeah,” replied Sandra before Andy stood up and walked back over to the group of men standing a ways behind him.

“She’s ready,” Andy told Lieutenant Connelly before he began walking back towards the squad car with Provenza following close behind him.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once they pulled up in front of Andy’s house, he gave Provenza his keys and told him to head inside while he went to get the kids from the neighbor’s house. A few minutes later, Andy walked in carrying Brandon and holding Nicole’s hand until she noticed Provenza standing in the kitchen.

“Uncle P!” exclaimed Nicole as she ran towards him to give him a hug.

“Hey peanut,” replied Provenza as he wrapped her in a momentary hug.

“Hey Nic. Why don’t you go sit on the couch. Daddy needs to talk to you about something,” Andy told his daughter.

“Do you want me to…” Provenza trailed off awkwardly.

“Nah. You can stay. How about you put Brandon to bed though. He’s almost asleep now,” pointed out Andy.

“Sure thing, Flynn,” replied Provenza as he gently took the nearly one year old from Andy’s arms and headed down the hallway with the baby.

“Why didn’t Mommy come pick us up, Daddy? She told us she’d be right back,” inquired Nicole.

Andy looked away from his daughter for a moment to collect himself before he picked up Nicole and sat her in his lap, “Nic, Mommy got a boo boo tonight.”

“Is she okay? Can we see her?” asked Nicole.

“I’m afraid not, Nic. Mommy was in a bad accident tonight. You know how you learned about heaven & angels in Sunday school?” asked Nicole.

“Yeah. Is Mommy an angel now?” Nicole asked nervously.

“I’m afraid so, Nic. She’s up in heaven with God now,” explained Andy.

“So, she’s not alone?” asked Nicole curiously.

“No, she’s definitely not alone. In fact, she wanted me to tell both you & Brandon that she will always love you and that she’ll always be here in your heart and up in the sky watching over you,” Andy answered his daughter’s question.

“So, she’s never coming back?” asked Nicole sadly.

“No, ladybug, she’s not. Believe me though, if she’d had a choice, she never would’ve gone to heaven. She loved you and your brother way too much to ever wanna be away from you two,” Andy pointed out.

“Are you sad?” Nicole asked him as she sniffled.

“I’m very sad, ladybug,” replied Andy as a few tears fell down his cheeks.

“Me too,” replied Nicole as she buried her face into her father’s shirt and cried.

“Oh, ladybug. I’d give anything for this not to be happening,” said Andy as wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her as she cried.  
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About fifteen minutes later, Provenza walked back into the living room and saw Andy lying on the couch with Nicole in his arms fast asleep. He looked at his partner sympathetically before he put a hand supportively on his shoulder and said, “I’m gonna go make us some coffee.”

While Provenza went into the kitchen to start the coffee, Andy carefully stood up off the couch and carried his daughter down the hall to her room. He pulled back the comforter and laid her down on her bed before tucking her in and pressing a kiss against her forehead. 

Andy continued standing in the doorway of his daughter’s room for a few more minutes to make sure she was asleep before walking down the hallway and checking in on his sleeping son. 

Satisfied that they were both sound asleep, he made his way down the hallway and headed towards the kitchen and the beginning of his new reality.


	2. Better Late Than Never

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter takes place six years after the first chapter. We’re introduced to Sharon and her children and they’re introduced to Andy and his mother, Francesca. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters (except Francesca) or M/C, but if I did, this is what would happen.

Chapter 1: Better Late Than Never

March 1995

One day when Sharon Raydor is dropping off her children, Emily & Ricky at St. Joseph’s, her son, Ricky is absolutely inconsolable about the fact that it’s not fair that everybody else seems to have a dad around except him. Sharon is trying to empathize with the situation and comfort him, but the truth is she’s just as upset that Jack isn’t around for his kids as Ricky is right now. To top it off, if she doesn’t leave soon she’s gonna be late, but she also doesn’t wanna leave Ricky in such a state.

As this is going on, a man walks by them with his two kids. His son tells him that that’s his friend from baseball and that he doesn’t have a dad. Andy stops for a second and asks Nicole to wait with Brandon for a minute as he walks off towards the woman and her son.

“Hi. Listen I know this isn’t a great time for introductions, but my name’s Andy Flynn. My son Brandon is on the same baseball team as your son,” said Andy.

You’re right. This isn’t a great time. My son is upset and I’m about to be late for work. So, if you don’t mind,” Sharon replied back annoyed.

All of a sudden, the man stoops down to the ground until he’s eye level with Ricky and asks, “Hey Bud. What’s your name? My name’s Andy. I’m Brandon’s dad.”

Ricky sniffles as he replies, “Ricky.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ricky. I couldn’t help but notice that you’re pretty upset about something. Wanna talk about it?” asked Andy.

“Excuse me, but-” interjected Sharon before the man signaled her to give him a minute.

“It’s not fair that everyone else has a dad and I don’t,” explained Ricky.

“That does sound like a bit of a bummer there, dude. I’m sorry about that. Does that make you feel left out?” asked Andy.

“Yeah,” replied Ricky.

“I bet it does. You wanna know something though?” asked Andy.

“What?” asked Ricky as he continued to sniffle.

“You’re not the only kid who doesn’t have both a mom and a dad. Brandon and his sister, Nicole, they don’t have a mom, and that makes them sad sometimes too. So, if you’re ever at school and you get sad about your dad, just look for Brandon and know that you’re not alone. That there’s somebody else who understands why you’re sad too,” explained Andy.

“Okay,” replied Ricky.

Meanwhile, Sharon was behind Ricky trying to process what had just happened when she finally found her voice and prompted Ricky, “Now what do you need to say to Mr. Flynn?”

“Thank you,” Ricky told him.

“Anytime, bud. We’ll see you at the next game,” Andy told him before Ricky ran off to join Brandon.

That left him alone with Ricky’s mother.

“I’m sorry about biting your head off before,” apologized Sharon.

“I get it. Mama bear instinct. I’d probably do the same thing if some strange person came up and started talking to my kids too,” replied Andy.

“Well, in any case, thank you. I’m Sharon by the way,” Sharon stuck her hand out to introduce herself.

“Good to meet you, Sharon,” replied Andy as he shook the woman’s hand.

“Well, I should get going before I’m late for work. Again, thank you so much,” said Sharon gratefully.

“No problem. See you around, Sharon,” said Andy before they went their separate ways.  
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It was a few days before Sharon & Andy saw each other again. This time at Ricky & Brandon’s baseball game. They each happened to catch the others eye as Sharon & a girl of about nine walked towards the field and took a seat in the set of bleacher’s to the right of the ones Andy, the middle aged woman sitting next to him, and the young girl sitting next to her were occupying.

“Andy, who was that you were just waving to?” Andy’s mother, Francesca, asked him.

“It was nothing, Ma. She’s the mom of one of Brandon’s friends that I met the other day when I was dropping the kids off at school,” replied Andy.

“Does this mom have a name?” inquired Francesca.

“Yeah. Her name’s Sharon,” answered Andy.

“Well, why don’t you ask Sharon to come sit with us?” Francesca asked him.

“Ma, if she wanted to sit with us, I’m sure she would’ve done it already,” pointed out Andy.

“Oh, Andrew Matteo Flynn, I swear, you can be so hardheaded sometimes, you know that? Suit yourself. Nicole and I are gonna go get some ice cream,” Francesca told her son.

“Wait. Here, take this,” said Andy as he took out his wallet to hand her some money.

“Put that away, Andrew. I have the right to spoil my grandchildren sometimes, don’t I?” Francesca asked pointedly.

“Yeah, Ma. Nicole, what do you tell Nonna?” prompted Andy.

“Thank you,” the girl told her grandmother.

“You’re welcome. Now, what flavor should we get today?” Francesca asked Nicole as they began to walk off towards the snack bar.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After Francesca & Nicole each got their ice cream cones, they began to walk back towards the bleachers.

“Nicole, sweetie. Come this way with me for a minute,” said Francesca.

Nicole complied and followed her grandmother as she made a short detour until she stood next to a woman with dark brown hair who was sitting on the end of one of the bleachers.

“Hi. I know we don’t know each other, but my son, Andy, tells me that your son and my grandson, Brandon are pretty good friends. I’m Francesca, by the way,” she told Sharon as she stuck out her hand to shake Sharon’s.

“It’s nice to meet you, Francesca. My name’s Sharon Raydor and this is my daughter, Emily,” Sharon told her.

“How lovely to meet you both. Have you met my granddaughter, Nicole?” Francesca asked her.

“Not formally, no. It’s very nice to meet you, Nicole. Can I ask how old you are?” inquired Sharon.

“Nine,” answered Nicole.

“That means Emily’s right around your age too. She’ll be nine in November. Emily, can you say hi to Nicole?” prompted Sharon.

“Hi,” said Emily.

“Hi,” Nicole replied back.

“Anyways, my son told me he met you the other day when he was taking the kids to school. I suggested to him that we invite you two to come sit with us, but truthfully, he’s inherited a bit of his father’s stubbornness and was being a bit difficult about the whole thing,” explained Francesca.

“Do you like to color? I’ve got lots of coloring books and we could share the crayons and colored pencils if you want,” said Nicole to Emily.

“Sure. Mommy, can I go?” asked Emily.

“I’ll tell you what. Let’s both go over there together since Ms. Francesca & Nicole were kind enough to invite us,” Sharon told Emily as she moved to stand up and grab her bag as Francesca saw something on her hip gleam in the sunlight.

“Oh, are you a police officer?” inquired Francesca as they began walking towards the next set of bleachers.

“Yes, I am,” replied Sharon kindly.

“Oh, so is my Andrew. He’s a sergeant with the Robbery/Homicide division,” gushed Francesca.

“Oh, really? He didn’t mention that when we met the other day,” replied Sharon.

“Huh. If you don’t mind me asking, dear, what division do you work in?” asked Francesca.

“Oh, I don’t mind at all. I’m a sergeant with the Force Investigation Division, or FID. We basically make sure good cops stay good cops and investigate accordingly if they don’t follow procedures & regulations and that sort of thing,” explained Sharon.

“How interesting,” commented Francesca as they rounded the corner of the bleachers towards their seats.

Out of the corner of his eye, Andy saw the women round corner as his daughter ran ahead of them towards the coloring books with another little girl. As his mother approached with the familiar woman, he said, “Wow, Ma. That’s the last time I trust you when you say you’re going to get ice cream.”

“I’m sure God will forgive me for it by Sunday. Besides, you weren’t gonna do it. I was just trying to be nice,” Francesca pointed out.

“What? I’m nice. I just thought it might be a little weird to just walk over to her and invite her to sit with us. That’s all,” Andy told her defensively.

“I believe her exact words were that you inherited a bit of your father’s stubbornness and were being a bit difficult about the whole thing,” Sharon added.

“Oh, really?” said Andy as he glared at his mother a moment before turning his attention back to Sharon and said, “In any event, it’s nice to see you again, Sharon.”

“You too, Andy,” replied Sharon kindly.

“And who do we have here?” Andy asked her as he indicated towards the girl sitting there coloring with Nicole.

“That’s my daughter, Emily,” answered Sharon.

“Well, they seem to be fast friends,” Andy pointed out.

“Yes, they do,” replied Sharon as she smiled down at the girls.

“So, did you end up making it to work on time the other day?” asked Andy in an attempt to make conversation.

“I did, actually. Thanks to you. How did you know what to say to him though?” inquired Sharon curiously.

“Nicole went through a similar thing a couple years ago. Her mom died when she was three. She started isolating herself a bit from her friends because she didn’t feel like she fit in with them because she doesn’t have a mom like most kids do. Her teacher noticed that she’d stand by herself on the playground and called me about it. It took a bit of effort, but I finally got her to tell me what was bothering her. It’s still hard for her some days, but she’s been doing a lot better with it since then,” explained Andy.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” Sharon told him sincerely.

“Thanks. As I’m sure you know, it’s not easy raising two kids by yourself. My Ma helps me out quite a bit though, so that definitely helps,” said Andy.

“Parenting alone definitely isn’t an easy task. Except my husband is just an exceptionally horrible parent,” admitted Sharon.

“So, you’re married?” Andy asked her.

“Legally separated, actually. Have been for about five years now. Just haven’t gathered enough courage to put pen to paper. I guess it’s just the Catholic in me. God knows it’s not because I still love him. No, that ship sailed long ago,” said Sharon.

“Wow. Tough break. Hopefully everything works out the way you want it to eventually,” said Andy.

“I have faith that it will someday,” said Sharon.

“Oh, Andy! I forgot to tell you! Sharon’s a police officer just like you,” exclaimed Francesca excitedly.

“Really?” asked Andy surprisingly.

“Yes. Despite the old boys club mentality, more than a few of us women officers have survived to upset the status quo,” remarked Sharon.

“Oh, no. I didn’t say that because you’re a woman. I was just a little surprised, that’s all,” replied Andy

“Uh huh,” replied Sharon as she smiled kindly at him.

“So, what unit are you from?” Andy asked her.

“Force Investigation Division, actually,” replied Sharon.

“You work for the rat squad?” asked Andy.

“Andrew!” exclaimed Francesca.

Sharon chuckled for a moment before she said, “It’s alright, Francesca. I’m quite used to this sort of reaction.”

“Ma, her division is made up of cops investigating cops,” Andy protested.

“Only dirty ones. If your hands are clean, you have nothing to worry about. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t hang cops out to dry,” pointed out Sharon.

“How about we talk about something else besides work, huh? Sharon, what kinds of activities do your children enjoy?” Francesca asked in an effort to change the subject.

“Oh, Emily loves to dance. Has since she was very young. In the beginning, she tried out a few different styles, but Ballet is definitely her favorite now. Ricky loves baseball and video games. Lately though, he’s taken to taking apart small items like the toaster, and I have to remind him that if he takes it apart, he has to put it back together. He means well though, just a bit curious about how things work that’s all, which isn’t exactly the worst thing in the world,” said Sharon.

Meanwhile, Andy unexpectedly found that instead of focusing on their previous topic of conversation, he couldn’t help but smile to himself at the way this woman talked about her children. It was clear to him that her kids meant the world to her. The way her face had lit up when the topic changed from work to her kids was noticeable and there was something about that observation that turned Andy’s mood around a bit. Maybe she wasn’t all bad.

“So, what do your kids like to do for fun?” Sharon asked him.

“Huh?” asked Andy as he shook himself out of his reverie.

“Sharon asked what Nicole & Brandon like to do for fun,” Francesca pointed out.

“Oh, Nicole loves Polly Pocket and reading and doing her nails. Brandon likes baseball and video games too, which explains why him and Ricky get along so well,” said Andy.

“Oh my goodness! We should get all the kids together sometime. Go to the park or the zoo or the aquarium. Something they’d all enjoy,” suggested Francesca excitedly.

“That would be nice,” replied Sharon kindly.

Being a single working mother often meant that time for friendships were few and far between. They usually took a backseat to work, the kids, and trying to balance the two and all of their activities.

Maybe there could be room for both though. This woman seemed exceptionally kind and genuine and even though her son could be a little rough around the edges sometimes, Sharon could tell that there was a bit more to him than that. Plus, the kids seemed to be getting along splendidly with one another. So, if the time the kids spent with their friends also sort of became the time she spent with hers, she might just be able to fit a bit of socializing into her often hectic schedule.

She didn’t begrudge always having to be at work or with her children. She loved both dearly. Even Sharon could admit though that this bit of adult interaction outside of work had been nice and something that was wholly needed to lead a more balanced and happier life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review if you feel so inclined to. Hope you're enjoying the story so far!


	3. Not All Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharon, Francesca, and Andy get to know each other a little better and we learn a little more about each of them and their pasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters or M/C, but if I did, this is what would happen.

Chapter 2: Not All Bad

The next couple months saw Sharon, Andy, Francesca, and the children all quickly becoming great friends. They’d see each other dropping the kids off at school, they all sat together at each of Brandon & Ricky’s baseball games, and the kids had even had a few play dates at both Sharon & Andy’s houses. 

Today was the final game of the boy’s baseball season. Their team had done fairly well all season and both boys had greatly improved their skills at the plate over the last few months. So, win or lose today’s game, it had been a successful season and that was something to celebrate.

As they were watching the final inning, Andy turned to Sharon and said, “So, I was thinking about taking the kids for pizza after the game. If you guys aren’t busy, you’re more than welcome to join us.”

Sharon smiled at the idea before she replied, “That sounds like a great way to end the season. Although, I think you sold me at the idea of not having to cook for a night. Things at work have been a little hectic lately.”

“Us too. Guess that’s what keeps us both working though. There’s never a shortage of dirtbags doing stupid and horrible things in this city,” said Andy.

“That’s definitely true. I like to think of it as job security,” said Sharon.

“Yeah,” replied Andy before he and Sharon turned their attention back to the game.

By the end of the game, the boy’s team had squeaked by and won their final game 5 to 4. 

As the boys rejoined them, Sharon asked, “Who wants pizza?”

All four children echoed a chorus of me’s before Andy said, “Well, if there’s one thing we Italian’s know, its good pizza. I’ve got the perfect place.”

“Guess we’re following the pizza expert, then,” replied Sharon.

“I wouldn’t go that far. It’s really good pizza, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the pizza they’ve got back in New York,” Francesca commented.

“We Flynn’s work with what we’ve got though, right Ma?” asked Andy.

“That we do,” replied Francesca.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Andy, Sharon, Francesca, and the kids ended up dining at Vito’s Pizza off La Cienega Blvd. They had settled on ordering one cheese, one pepperoni, and one pizza that was half cheese and half pepperoni. 

Once the waiters brought the pizzas over to the long table in the middle of the quaint little casual dining restaurant, Andy said, “Let’s eat.” 

Sharon, Andy, and Francesca each helped the kids get pizza onto their plates before serving themselves. As Sharon took a bite of her slice of pizza, she said, “Oh god, that’s good.”

Andy cracked a small smile and looked at Sharon before he replied, “I told you.”

“You weren’t kidding. This is delicious,” replied Sharon after swallowing a bite of her pizza.

“It’s the closest I’ve come to finding New York City pizza here in LA,” said Andy.

“New York’s pretty amazing. I made quite a few trips there when I was younger. Did you grow up in the city or in the upstate parts of New York?” Sharon asked him.

“Neither. New Jersey, actually. So, we were able to go into the city pretty easily. What about you? You must have lived pretty close to New York if you made frequent trips there,” commented Andy.

“Kind of. Pennsylvania. I have an aunt who lives just outside the city though. So, we’d go visit her quite a bit in the summers and she’d take us into the city to do all kinds of fun things when we were kids,” explained Sharon.

“Wow. It’s amazing we haven’t crossed paths sooner. How long have you lived out here in Los Angeles?” asked Francesca.

“Almost eleven years now I guess. What about you guys?” asked Sharon.

“Well, I’ve been out here about thirteen years now, but Ma’s only been out here for about six years,” supplied Andy.

“What brought you out to LA?” Sharon asked him.

“I’d just gotten married and seventy five and sunny seemed better than snow chains and scraping ice off my windshield during the winter,” answered Andy.

Sharon chuckled for a moment before she asked, “You seriously thought it was seventy five and sunny here every day of the year?” 

“Nah. Just knew it would be warmer than New Jersey winters. What about you?” asked Andy.

“Well, Jack and I were recently married and he wanted to go to law school at UCLA. So, the deal was I’d work while he went to law school and then he’d do the same for me. Needless to say, things didn’t quite go as planned, but I got these two out of the deal, so it wasn’t so bad,” said Sharon as she indicated towards Ricky and Emily.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what led you to become a police officer, Sharon?” asked Francesca.

“Well, I was interested in the law and I saw it as an opportunity to support us while at the same time learning more about how the law works in action from a different perspective,” explained Sharon.

“Have you ever thought about trying to go back to school on your own?” asked Francesca.

“I’ve thought about it, but a lot of things have changed since I dreamed of going to law school. I’d rather spend time what free time I do get from work being a mom and being there for my kids instead of having my nose in law books 24/7. Somewhere along the way, my priorities changed and I’m not entirely sure that’s a bad thing. I like what I do now and I like knowing that I make a difference for the LAPD and the community, even if it’s not always perceived that way by everyone,” replied Sharon.

“Well, I think what you do is great. Every power structure needs some sort of checks and balances system in place to prevent abuse of power. This one will never admit it, but he believes that too,” said Francesca.

“It’s not that I don’t believe in a system of checks and balance. It’s just how they go about it sometimes that I disagree with,” replied Andy.

“That’s perfectly understandable and you’re entitled to your opinion, but FID has oversight too to make sure everything is done above board and doesn’t leave the department open to a lawsuit,” said Sharon.

“Well, now that that’s settled. Sharon, what kind of plans do you and the children have for the summer?” asked Francesca.

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll go to the zoo at least once, definitely the park, and of course the beach and the pool during the warmer parts of summer. We’re going to Pennsylvania for a week in the middle of July to visit my parents," said Sharon.

“That sounds wonderful. We should definitely plan to get together this summer with the kids and do some fun stuff. I know the kids would just love it,” suggested Francesca.

“I’d like that and I’m sure Emily & Ricky would enjoy it as well,” replied Sharon.

“Well, it’s settled then,” declared Francesca.

Just as Francesca said that, Sharon could see Andy rolling his eyes behind his mother, which made Sharon shake her head and chuckle to herself at his petulance before she looked at him and asked, “Any problems with that Lieutenant?”

“Not that I can think of, Captain,” replied Andy.

This woman knew how to push his buttons alright. Although, given the fact that she worked in FID, that shouldn’t surprise him too much. Regardless of how Andy felt about her work though, he was going to have to find a way to get along with her in the presence of his children and hers. How he was supposed to do that, he had no idea, but if there was one thing he did know, it was that it would definitely be an interesting journey to find out.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
A couple weeks later when Sharon had a day off, her and Francesca organized a play date for the kids at the park. The kids would get to see each other again and the adults could get in some adult interaction time as well.

As the kids played on the playground and the monkey bars, Sharon and Francesca began talking while keeping a watchful eye on the children. 

“So, where’s the Lieutenant today?” Sharon asked Francesca in an effort to make conversation.

“Oh, he caught a case last night. He said he might get out by this afternoon and stop by,” Francesca supplied.

“Oh. It seems like we have work and kids in common, but not much else,” said Sharon.

“He’s really not that bad once you get to know him. You know guys and their macho exterior,” said Francesca.

“Unfortunately, I do. Jack was especially that way when he was drunk,” Sharon said. 

“Having an ex-husband who was an alcoholic and a son who’s a recovering one, I can definitely understand that one,” said Francesca.

“Andy’s a recovering alcoholic?” Sharon asked curiously.

“Yeah. He’s been sober for six years now. Ever since his wife, Sandra, died in an automobile accident where a guy ran a red light and pinned her to a traffic pole,” said Francesca.

“Wow. That sounds really tough,” said Sharon, at a loss for what else to say.

“It was. Especially in the beginning. That’s why I moved to LA in the first place. He asked me to come stay with the kids while he went to rehab and I never left. Finally, I just decided to get my own place about four and a half years ago and stay. He doesn’t need me quite as much as he used to, but you know how it is being a cop and a single parent. Late night calls, catching a case in the middle of the day, and all that,” said Francesca.

“Yeah, I have a sitter on standby always for those times,”

“Well, if you’re ever in a bind, feel free to call me. I can always take them for an afternoon or a night,” offered Francesca.

“Thank you. I’ll definitely keep that in mind,” Sharon told her.

“So, not to pry, but I know what being a single mom is like. How do you do it all while being a police officer?” asked Francesca kindly.

“Well, it’s definitely a delicate balance. My job in FID has more typical nine to five hours than most cops. Sure, there is still middle of the night roll outs on cases, but most of the time the hours are pretty dependable. So, that definitely helps. The rest of the time, I usually rely on a sitter for those unexpected times,” answered Sharon.  
“So, basically you’re supermom,” Francesca pointed out.

“I’ve never really thought of it that way. I just know it’s all up to me to provide and be there for them. I don’t resent it. If anything, that resentment is aimed at their father,” explained Sharon.

“I can certainly understand that. I dealt with a lot of that with Andy’s father. He left me with four kids and was no help,” revealed Francesca.

“Wow. I thought two kids was a lot to manage. You were the real supermom. That sounds like a lot to handle on your own," Sharon told her.

“It definitely wasn’t easy, but I had family that helped me out when I needed it. I think that’s why I stayed here in LA to help Andy. I know how hard single parenting can be," said Francesca.

“Yeah. Speaking of the Lieutenant, there he is,” said Sharon as he casually waved in their direction before going to join the kids in a game of tag.

Seeing the Lieutenant and how he was with the kids definitely softened her attitude towards him and his brusqueness about her job. He really did seem like a good and involved dad, despite his past demons.

Maybe he wasn’t all bad. Maybe they could find some common ground. Maybe they could eventually even become friends one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this latest chapter! Chapters may be coming a bit slower after this as these first three were already pre- written before I started this story. Just thought y'all should know this. Again, thanks for reading and reviewing! All feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!


	4. Rookie Days & Tough Breaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Francesca comes down with a cold, it's up to Andy and Sharon to take the children to the Los Angeles Aquarium. The two haven't spent a ton of time together, especially without Francesca. Will the two get along or will it end with bickering and sniping about Sharon working for the "rat squad?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters or M/C, but if I did, this is what would happen.

Chapter 3: Rookie Days & Tough Breaks

It was a couple weeks later and Sharon and Francesca had organized an outing with the kids to go to the Los Angeles Aquarium. 

Unfortunately, a few days before the outing, Francesca came down with a cold.

So, that left Andy and Sharon to take the kids to the aquarium together. They hadn’t spent too much time together, especially without Francesca, but Sharon was willing to give it a go if Andy was.

“So, any interesting stories from your rookie days?” Sharon asked, deciding to go with something they both had in common.

“Well…there was this one time my partner and I went to go arrest this guy and he answered the door completely naked,” Andy told her.

“Really?” asked Sharon.

“Yeah. We had to take him inside and find him some pants. He was high on something or other, so that explains a lot. What about you?” Andy asked in an attempt to make conversation.

“Well, one time my partner went to pick up a suspect and he threatened us with a toy gun,” explained Sharon.

“Jeez! He’s lucky one of you didn’t blow his head off thinking it was real,” replied Andy.

“Yeah. Lucky for him, I noticed it was a plastic toy gun and cuffed him,” said Sharon.

“Good call. How long did you work the streets?” Andy asked her.

“About five years. Of course, I was riding a desk for nine months of that when Emily came along. What about you?” Sharon asked him.

“About six years or so. It was definitely an interesting journey. Especially with my partner, Provenza,” said Andy.

“Never heard of him. That’s probably a good thing though, right?” asked Sharon.

“Probably. He’s gotten himself and us in some scrapes, but he’s a good partner and a great friend,” said Andy.

“Sounds like it,” replied Sharon.

“He really helped me out after my wife Sandra died,” said Andy.

“Yeah, your mom told me about some of that. I’m so sorry,” Sharon told him.

“Thanks. It was tough at first, but we’ve somehow made it through with the help of my Ma,” said Andy.

“You’re lucky to have her. Sometimes, I wish I had family out here in LA,” said Sharon.

“Yeah I am. Did she tell you about me being a recovering alcoholic?” Andy asked her.

“Yeah. She mentioned that you’d been sober for six years now. That’s a great accomplishment,” Sharon told him.

“So, you don’t have a problem with it?” Andy asked her.

“No. My husband may be a drunk, but you’re not anymore. I’ve seen you with the kids and I have faith in your ability to be responsible when they’re in your care. Sure, it was a shock to hear at first, but it’s not a problem,” explained Sharon.

“Okay. Well, that’s nice to hear. Thank you. So, you’re husband is an alcoholic?” asked Andy.

“Yeah. Has been for years. He refuses to get help. Hence the separation. I couldn’t have my kids exposed to that sort of behavior. He’s also taken up gambling. Last I heard, he was in Vegas somewhere,” Sharon told him.

“Wow. Tough break. That’s gotta be hard,” replied Andy.

“It was at first. Now, with him not around, it’s not much of an issue. His refusal to get help is a deal breaker for me. That’s it,” said Sharon.

“Yeah, I think it would eventually have been for my wife too had she not been killed. My drinking was out of control. It was actually her and her death that triggered me to get help,” said Andy.

“Well, unfortunately sometimes it takes something drastic to realize there’s a problem,” said Sharon.

“Yeah. Luckily, the kids were young enough not to remember most of it. I hope it was the same for Ricky and Emily,” Andy told Sharon.

“Emily remembers her dad a little bit. Ricky doesn’t really remember him. He just misses having a dad like everyone else. Quite frankly, that fact pisses me off too,” said Sharon.

“Yeah. So, onto happier things, how have the kids been doing this summer since baseball ended?” asked Andy.

“They’ve been good. They had a great time at the park with you, Nicole, and Brandon. Other than that, they’ve mostly been with a sitter while I’m at work,” said Sharon.

“We should plan to do more stuff with them when one or both of us have the day off,” suggested Andy.

“I think they’d love that,” said Sharon excitedly.

“Mama. Look at that shark,” interjected Ricky.

“I see. That’s so cool,” responded Sharon.

“Do you guys know what kind of shark that is?” Andy asked the children.

“It says on the sign that it’s a hammerhead shark,” said Emily.

“Very good, Emily,” complimented Andy.

“Sharks are so cool,” said Brandon.

“Yeah, they are, bud,” responded Andy.

“Look at the jellyfish over there,” said Nicole.

The group directed their attention to the exhibit across the way.

“They’re really pretty, aren’t they?” Sharon asked Nicole.

“Yeah. Plus, they’re pink and purple,” Nicole pointed out.

“Let me guess, those are your favorite colors,” said a chuckling Sharon.

“Purple’s my favorite, but pink is my second favorite,” Nicole told her.

“Purple is my favorite color too,” said Sharon.

“Nicole! Look at the starfishes and seahorses,” Emily ran straight ahead to the next exhibit.

The group followed Emily, who had her face pressed against the glass of the tank.

“Those are so cool, Emily,” Nicole told her.

“Look at their tails!” Ricky told Brandon.

“Look, Ricky! That one’s grabbing some seaweed,” Brandon showed him.

Meanwhile, behind them, Sharon and Andy smiled at how swimmingly the kids were bonding with each other.

“Reminds me of me and my siblings as kids. Minus less fighting,” commented Andy.

“I’m sure the fighting will happen eventually,” replied Sharon.

“You’re probably right,” said Andy.

“My mom always tells me to enjoy the peaceful moments like this,” revealed Sharon.

“Smart lady,” replied Andy.

Just then, the kids moved away from the exhibit and back towards their respective parent.

“What shall we see next?” asked Sharon.

“How about the sea turtles?” suggested Emily.

“Awesome!” said Brandon.

“Sea turtles it is,” declared Andy as they began making their way towards the sea turtle display.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The rest of the afternoon saw them touring the various exhibits the Los Angeles Aquarium had to offer.

Afterwards, Sharon and Andy decided to take the kids to a local gelato place Andy had recommended. 

The kids each got a scoop of vanilla chocolate chip while Sharon got peach and Andy got chocolate hazelnut cream.

“This is really good. I’ve never had gelato before,” Sharon told Andy.

“Ma used to take us sometimes as kids. She called it our special treat if we were being good,” revealed Andy.

“How is Francesca? It’s a shame she couldn’t make it today,” said Sharon.

“Oh, she’s alright. I took her over some soup yesterday. She’s still feeling sick, but I think she’s over the worst of it,” Andy told her.

“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m sure you’ll be glad to have her back,” commented Sharon.

“Yeah. Today wasn’t too bad though, was it?” asked Andy.

“No. Surprisingly, we actually managed to get along,” said Sharon lightheartedly.

“Yeah, we did. Plus, the kids had a great time at the aquarium,” said Andy.

“Which is what’s important,” replied Sharon.

“Exactly,” added Andy.

As the two turned their attention back to the children, Andy couldn’t help but think there might just be more to Sharon Raydor than meets the eye. Maybe she wasn’t just someone who worked for the rat squad, but also a mother and a seemingly complex woman.

He didn’t know much about her at this point, but he was definitely intrigued to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews and feedback on the prologue and first two chapters of this story. Feel free to keep leaving me feedback and constructive criticism as we continue this journey through Shandy-land.


	5. Nightfall & Midnight Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharon gets a midnight call out and her sitter is sick. In a panic, she calls Andy to see if he can take the kids for a few hours. When Francesca answers, she tells Sharon to bring the kids over. What will the morning bring for Sharon and Andy? Will sparks fly or are they once again at each other's throats?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Major Crimes or any of it's characters (except Francesca). I do this for free, so don't sue me.

It was around midnight when Sharon got the phone call that her team had caught a case.

Now, she was in a bit of a panic because her regular sitter was sick with the flu.

So, in her desperation, she called Andy to see if he might be able to take the kids for a few hours.

When someone finally picked up, it was actually Francesca’s voice Sharon heard on the other end of the line that said, “Hello.”

“Hi, Francesca. This is Sharon Raydor,” said Sharon.

“Hello, Sharon. How are you, dear?” Francesca asked sleepily.

“I was calling to see if it might be possible for Andy to take the kids for a few hours tonight. My regular sitter is down with the flu and I just got called out on a case,” explained Sharon.

“Oh, he’s out on a case too. Got called out about an hour ago. Feel free to bring Ricky and Emily over though. I’ll be here at least until he gets back.” Francesca told her kindly.

“Oh, that would be great. Thank you so much. I was in a bit of a panic when they called me. I’ll be over in about fifteen minutes,” Sharon told her.

“Okay, dear. We’ll see you three then,” replied Francesca.

“Okay. Thanks again, Francesca. You’re a lifesaver. See you soon,” said Sharon.

“It’s no trouble really. Bye,” said Francesca.

“Bye,” said Sharon before the two hung up.

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, Sharon dropped the kids off at Andy’s house with Francesca.

When they got there, Francesca already had the pull out sofa bed set up for Ricky and Emily to go back to sleep on.

Sharon quickly once again offered her thanks to Francesca before dashing out the door and towards her waiting case.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Andy ended up getting home around 5:30 in the morning and was surprised to see Ricky & Emily Raydor sleeping on his sofa bed.

He walked past them and into the kitchen to put some coffee on and start making breakfast.

As he was preparing the pancakes, Francesca walked into the kitchen.

“Morning, Andy.” Francesca told him.

“Morning, Ma. Hope I didn’t wake you,” said Andy as he flipped the pancakes.

“No. I just woke up on my own,” explained Francesca.

“Good. Want some coffee?” Andy asked his mother.

“Please,” said Francesca.

Andy got out two mugs and poured them each a cup before handing Francesca hers. 

“Thank you,” Francesca told him.

“You’re welcome,” replied Andy as he turned his attention back to the pancakes and asked, “What time did Ricky and Emily get here?”

“About five hours ago. Sharon called in a panic because her sitter was sick with the flu. So, I told her you were out on a case, but to bring them on over,” answered Francesca.

“Well, I’ll be sure to make extra pancakes then,” said Andy.

“You’re such a good boy,” Francesca told him as she kissed his cheek.

“The more the merrier, right?” posed Andy.

“Right,” said Francesca.

About ten minutes later, Francesca heard a commotion coming from the living room and knew it was probably Nicole and Brandon discovering Ricky and Emily were here.

Sure enough, she walked into the living room and discovered all four kids were awake.

“Okay, Nicole and Brandon, your dad is making pancakes. While he does that, why don’t you four go play in your rooms. I’ll call you when breakfast is ready,” Francesca directed them.

“Okay, Nonna,” said Nicole as she and Emily headed to her room and Brandon and Ricky headed to his.

Meanwhile, Francesca headed back to the kitchen to refill her coffee.

“Kids up?” asked Andy.

“Yep. All four of them, I sent them to play in their rooms until breakfast is ready,” explained Francesca.

Just as Andy was about to speak, there was a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it while you work on finishing up those pancakes,” announced Francesca.

“Okay. Thanks, Ma,” 

Francesca headed toward the door and looked through the peep hole to see that it was Sharon. 

She gladly opened the door and said, “Hello, Sharon.”

“Hello, Francesca. Thanks again for taking them in the middle of the night like you did. It was truly a godsend,” said Sharon as Francesca invited her in.

“No problem. The kids are up and playing in their rooms right now,” said Francesca.

“Something smells good,” commented Sharon.

“Oh, that’s just Andy making pancakes. Do you want some coffee?” Francesca asked her.

“Oh, coffee would be great. Thank you,” answered Sharon.

As they walked into the kitchen, Sharon noticed Andy was at the stove flipping pancakes.

“Hey, Andy,” Sharon greeted him.

“Hey, good morning,” replied Andy.

“I was just getting Sharon some coffee,” announced Francesca as she poured a mug of coffee for Sharon.

“Thank you,” Sharon told Francesca as she handed her the mug.

“Want some pancakes? I’m already making a bunch,” Andy told her.

“Sure, I could go for a pancake. Thank you,” responded Sharon.

“As in one pancake? I’ve never heard of anybody eating just one pancake before,” said Andy.

“Andrew…” Francesca warned.

“Don’t worry about it, Francesca. We went to the aquarium and didn’t kill each other. I’m slowly discovering his bark is worse than his bite,” said Sharon.

Andy laughed at that and said, “That may or may not be true.”

Suddenly, Francesca felt like she was somehow intruding on this conversation and said, “ I’m gonna go check on the kids.”

“I’ll go with you,” replied Sharon as she followed Francesca towards the stairs.

As they walked down the hallway and towards Nicole’s room, Sharon and Francesca could hear the girl’s playing Polly Pocket.

They stood in the doorway for a moment and waited for the girls to notice them.

“Mama,” said Emily as she ran to give her mother a hug.

“Hey, Em. Are you having fun with Nicole?” asked Sharon.

“Yeah. We’re playing Polly Pocket,” Emily informed her as she sat down to resume playing.

“Looks like you two are having lots of fun. What’s Polly up to today?” Sharon asked her daughter.

“She’s going to the mall,” said Emily.

“And the ice cream shop,” added Nicole.

“Sounds like a nice day,” said Sharon as she and Francesca turned to go down the hallway to Brandon’s room.

As they walked in, they found the boys playing with Power Rangers action figures.

“What do we have here?” Sharon asked the boys.

“We’re playing Power Rangers,” said Brandon.

“Are you having fun, Ricky?” Sharon asked her son.

“Yeah. I’m the red ranger and Brandon’s the blue ranger,” explained Ricky as they continued to play.

As they went to exit Brandon’s room, they met Andy in the hallway.

“Pancakes are ready,” announced Andy.

“I’ll get the boys, if you’ll get the girls,” Sharon said to Francesca.

“Okay,” replied Francesca.

Once they gathered the kids, everyone went downstairs to the kitchen to get pancakes. Andy distributed the pancakes to everyone before coming to Sharon and then himself.

“Here’s one pancake,” said Andy jokingly.

“You enjoy needling me about that, don’t you?” asked Sharon.

“Maybe,” replied Andy with a guilty expression on his face.

“Well, keep it coming. I can take it,” responded Sharon as she smiled at him good naturedly.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” replied Andy as he smiled back at her.

“So, Sharon, I was thinking of taking Brandon and Nicole to the zoo today. Emily and Ricky are more than welcome to join us if you’d like to get some sleep,” offered Francesca as everyone began eating their pancakes.

“Oh, I don’t wanna take advantage of your generosity too much,” said Sharon.

“It’s no trouble at all,” replied Francesca.

“Are you sure? Four kids is a lot to handle,” replied Sharon a little unsurely.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. She used to watch me, my three siblings, and my cousins all the time while my aunt was working. She can totally handle it,” Andy reassured her.

“Well, okay then. Ricky, Emily, would you like to go to the zoo with Brandon, Nicole, and Ms. Francesca?” Sharon asked her children.

“Yes!” both children responded.

“Well, okay. Let me at least give you some money for their admission,” said Sharon as she dug through her purse for her wallet before taking out a few bills and handing them to Francesca.

“Thank you, dear,” replied Francesca.

With that settled, the rest of the morning saw the children eating pancakes and then going to the zoo with Francesca while Andy got some rest and Sharon went home to sleep for at least a few hours.

The way their families got along so well was not lost on Sharon and Andy though.

In fact, both fell asleep that morning thinking about that very comforting thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading this latest chapter! Feel free to leave me feedback on this chapter or let me know what you'd like to see in future chapters


	6. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Nicole's birthday today and the Flynns and Sharon are getting ready for the party. What will the party bring for not only Nicole, but Sharon and Andy as well?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blah Blah Blah-I don't own any of the characters except Francesca. Don't sue me.

Today was a special day.

It was Nicole’s birthday and she was having a Polly Pocket themed birthday party.

As Andy and Sharon decorated the patio and tables with pink and green streamers and Polly Pocket themed centerpieces, Francesca was in the kitchen working on the cake.

“So, is Nicole excited?” asked Sharon.

“Yeah. She’s calling it her Polly Pocket party,” answered Andy.

“It’s so nice when they’re this age and it’s so easy to please them,” said Sharon as she continued hanging streamers.

“Yeah. I can’t even fathom what it’s gonna be like when they’re teenagers,” said Andy.

“They’ll probably be like us when we were teenagers,” responded Sharon.

“It’s hard to picture you as a rebellious teenager,” replied Andy.

“You probably gave Francesca a lot of gray hairs,” guessed Sharon.

“Probably,” supplied Andy.

“I was a pretty mild teenager. My college years though were a different story,” Sharon told him.

“What did you do? Drink too much once?” guessed Andy.

“That too. No, I met Jack and my parents hated him. Should have been a warning sign to me then of what was to come,” said Sharon solemnly.

Andy wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he said, “Well, at least you got the two great kiddos out of it.”

“Yes, I did,” said Sharon as she instantly brightened up.

“Well, this looks pretty good. Thanks again for all your help picking out the decorations and decorating. I’m a little lost when it comes to the world of little girls,” said Andy.

“It was no problem. I’m glad I could help,” Sharon smiled kindly at him.

“Why don’t we see if my Ma needs any help in the kitchen with the food? Last I saw, she was decorating the cake,” said Andy.

“Sounds like a plan,” replied Sharon.

As they walked inside, they found Francesca putting the finishing touches on Nicole’s birthday cake.

“That looks beautiful, Francesca,” Sharon told her.

“Years of practice, dear,” replied Francesca.

“Hey, Ma. Can we help with anything?” asked Andy.

“If you could put the snacks in bowls, that would be great, Andrew. Sharon, dear, if you could cut up the fruit, that would be amazing. Andy can help you after he’s done with the snacks,” explained Francesca.

With that, each got to work on their individual tasks. 

As promised, after finishing with the snacks, Andy went to help Sharon with the fruit.

“Here, you can cut up the pineapple,” Sharon told him.

“Okie dokie,” replied Andy as he set out to cut up the pineapple.

“So, how’s work been going for you?” Sharon asked him out of the blue.

“It’s been okay. Been pretty slammed with cases the last few weeks. In fact, this is the first weekend I have off in I don’t know how long,” explained Andy.

“Me too. We’ve been slammed with all kinds of stuff as well. There must be something in the water,” said Sharon.

“I think it’s the full moon. All the weirdoes come out of the woodwork,” replied Andy.

“Maybe. There’s definitely been something going on these last few weeks,” said Sharon.

“Yeah,” said Andy.

“Enough shop talk you two,” said Francesca.

“But, Ma. It’s the only thing we have in common,” whined Andy.

“I think you two have more in common than you might think,” Francesca told them.

“Okay. So, tell me about your partner. Provenza, wasn’t it?”

“Doesn’t that count as shop talk?” asked Andy.

“Not exactly. Just tell her about Louie, Andrew,” said Francesca.

“Okay. What do you want to know?” Andy asked Sharon.

“What’s he like? You said he was a great friend of yours. What makes him such a good friend?” Sharon asked him.

“Well, he was really there for me after Sandra died and I was newly sober. Whenever I needed someone to talk to or to distract me for a while, he was always there. Still is,” replied Andy.

“Do the kids like him?” Sharon asked him.

“Oh, they love him. They call him Uncle Louie,” said Andy.

“That sounds nice. It’s good that they have plenty of role models in their lives,” replied Sharon.

Andy and Francesca both started laughing and Sharon was left feeling utterly confused.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” asked Sharon.

“No, dear,” replied Francesca.

“It’s just that Provenza isn’t exactly a role model. He gets himself into a lot of trouble,” said Andy.

“Sounds like somebody else I know,” replied Sharon good naturedly as she smiled at Andy.

“What? Me? I’m a perfect angel. Tell her, Ma,” said Andy.

“You were not. You were a holy terror. Especially as a teenager,” Francesca told him.

Sharon started laughing at that.

“Wasn’t everybody a terror at that age?” asked Andy, trying desperately to defend himself.

“No. If we’re talking about perfect angels here, then that would be me,” said Sharon.

“That’s not fair. Your parents aren’t here to rat you out and tell the truth,” accused Andy.

“And they likely won’t be either considering they live in Pennsylvania,” retorted Sharon.

“Is that where you’re originally from, dear?” asked Francesca curiously.

“Yes. Born and raised Pennsylvania girl. My parents actually own a farmhouse in the country,” Sharon told her.

“Is it a working farm?” asked Francesca.

“Not exactly. We never raised animals on it or anything, but the previous owner did,” replied Sharon.

“I just can’t picture you as a country girl,” Andy told her.

“Andrew?!” exclaimed Francesca.

“It’s quite all right, Francesca. I’m growing to appreciate his needling. He’s right, though. I’m much more in my element in a big city like Los Angeles,” Sharon told them.

“See, Ma. I told you,” said Andy.

“Andrew, don’t sass your mother,” ordered Francesca.

“How about you Andy? How was growing up in New Jersey?” asked Sharon.

“Oh, it was lots of fun. Although, I definitely do not miss the snow and having to fight against the weather every time I go out,” said Andy.

“Me neither,” added Francesca.

“I know what that’s like. We had lots of snow in Pennsylvania too. I certainly don’t miss that part of it,” said Sharon.

The three continued talking and preparing for Nicole’s birthday party for the next hour or so, before it was finally time for the guests to arrive and the party to start.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After a few games, food, and cake and ice cream, it was time for presents.

Andy handed each gift one at a time for Nicole to open, while Sharon wrote down what presents were from who so they’d be able to write thank you notes to people later.

Finally, it was time for the last gift, which was from Sharon, Ricky, and Emily.

As Nicole opened it, she exclaimed, “It’s the Polly Pocket Mega Mall!”

“That’s from Sharon, Emily, and Ricky. What do you say to Sharon?” prompted Andy.

Nicole surprised all of them by running over to Sharon and nearly knocking her over with a huge hug and a, “Thank you, Sharon! I love it!”

Andy and Sharon exchanged surprised looks before Sharon hugged Nicole back and replied to her with, “Emily helped me pick it out. I’m glad you love it.”

Nicole gave Emily and Ricky huge hugs too before going back to her pile of presents and sitting down with the Mega Mall to open it.

Across the room, Sharon caught the older woman’s eye and Francesca gave her a knowing smile.

The two women looked on as Nicole enjoyed her gifts and felt the most heartwarming feeling that the party had been a success.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
As Francesca and the children sent the guests off with goodie bags, a goodbye, and a thank you, Andy and Sharon were out on the patio taking down the decorations and cleaning up.

“I know we have our differences, but I wanted to thank you for making Nicole’s birthday so special. This by far has been her best birthday party ever and I’m eternally grateful to you for that,” Andy told Sharon.

“Oh, it was my pleasure. I’m just glad I could make her day special,” replied Sharon as she smiled at Andy.

“I try to do that for her, but it’s always missing a little something. If there’s one thing I’m not, it’s an expert on girls,” admitted Andy.

“Oh, I’m hardly an expert, either. I think as long as we try our best as parents to provide for them, they’ll love us either way. When she looks back on this day, it’s not going to be about having all the gifts, but the feeling the party gave her. We each make that happen on our own, and that’s something you should be proud of,” Sharon told him.

“You’re right. I’m just saying that combining our efforts, we don’t make a bad team,” replied Andy.

“Not a bad team at all,” said Sharon as she gave Andy a soft, heartwarming smile.

Andy’s admission about them making a good team made Sharon feel a little uneasy, but it was hard to explain why. Maybe it was because she wasn’t sure how he’d meant it and that made her feel awkward and uncomfortable. Maybe it was because she might just see something in him and that thought scared her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coming on this latest adventure/chapter of It Takes A Village! Feel free to leave a review if you feel so inclined. I'm always looking for comments or constructive criticism. Thanks a bunch to everyone who is following me on this writing journey! It's been lots of fun and there's plenty more fun to come!


	7. Endings & Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Sharon invites the Flynn's over for a movie night and some pizza, what will the two families get up to? More importantly, will Sharon and Andy grow closer or will sparks of anger fly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blah Blah Blah. I don't own anything except Francesca. Don't sue me. Also, I'm not an expert on alcoholism or anything relating to it, but I tried to be sensitive while painting certain realities of it.

Sharon had invited the Flynn’s over for a movie night. 

Unfortunately, Francesca wasn’t able to make it due to a previous commitment, but Andy and the kids arrived right on time at 7pm.

“Hey. Come on in,” Sharon greeted them as she let them in.

“Hey. Thanks,” said Andy from behind the kids.

“Are you two ready to watch The Lion King?” Sharon asked Nicole and Brandon.

“Yeah!” exclaimed both children.

“The pizza should be here any minute. Why don’t you two go play with Ricky and Emily for a little bit,” suggested Sharon.

The children complied and walked down the hall to find Emily and Ricky.

Sharon meanwhile began walking towards the kitchen to grab some cups for the kids and some glasses for her and Andy.

“So, I have a bit of an awkward question to ask you,” stated Sharon.

“What?” asked Andy nervously.

“You see, I’ve never been in this type of situation before. So, I don’t know if there are rules or protocol for this type of thing-” said Sharon before Andy cut her rambling off.

“Just ask the question, Sharon,” Andy told her reassuringly.

“Okay. Do you mind if I have a glass of wine?” asked Sharon nervously.

“No, I don’t mind. For god’s sake, Sharon, it’s your house. Do what you want,” Andy told her.

“Are you sure? I don’t ever wanna do anything to trigger you or threaten your sobriety,” Sharon asked unsurely.

“I’m positive. I was always much more of a bourbon drinker than a wine fan anyways. Have a glass of wine if you want. It won’t bother or tempt me,” Andy assured her.

“Okay,” said Sharon as she let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding.

“Relax, Sharon. Let’s just have a nice movie night. There’s no need for it to be awkward,” Andy told her.

“Okay. What would you like to drink? I’ve got kool aid, cranberry juice, water, and milk,” Sharon listed off.

“I’ll take some cranberry juice, please,” said Andy.

“Alright, here you go” said Sharon as she poured and then handed Andy the glass.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. 

“That will be the pizza guy,” said Sharon.

“You get the drinks and I’ll get the pizza,” Andy told her.

“I can’t let you pay for the pizza,” said Sharon.

“Yes you can, Sharon. You invited us over for movie night. The least I can do is pay for the pizza,” said Andy.

“Are you sure? I can totally get it,” said Sharon.

“I know you can. I want to. Just let me do this one thing,” said Andy.

“Okay, but the next meal we share will be my treat,” Sharon agreed under that one condition.

Andy went to answer the door and paid the pizza guy before bringing the two boxes into the kitchen.

“Here you go,” said Andy as he set the boxes on the counter.

“Okay. I’ll go get the kids,” announced Sharon.

“Where are your plates?” asked Andy.

“In the top right cabinet there are some paper plates we can use,” explained Sharon.

“Alrighty,” said Andy as he opened the cabinet to get the paper plates out while Sharon left to go get the kids.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
About fifteen minutes later, the kids were situated around the coffee table with their pizza and drinks and The Lion King was playing while Sharon and Andy were in the kitchen.

“So, how’s work been going?” asked Sharon as she leaned back against the counter.

“It’s been pretty slow, which is always nice,” replied Andy.

“Yeah. Things have calmed down for us too,” said Sharon.

“That’s good,” said Andy.

“It is. I like getting home at a decent hour and being here until the morning comes,” said Sharon.

“Yeah. Working in robbery homicide, we have a lot more late night roll outs than I’d like, but it’s just part of the job,” said Andy.

“Yeah. Luckily those happen sparingly for me,” said Sharon.

“Well, if you ever have a late night rollout, you’ve got two people who’d be happy to take the kids for you,” mentioned Andy.

“I know. Thank you for that. It’s nice to know I’m not always in this parenting thing alone,” replied Sharon.

“You’re not. Both of us are glad to do it. We know you’d do the same for us,” said Andy.

“I would. Anytime you need a sitter and I’m available, I’m in,” replied Sharon.

“I know. Thanks for that. It’s nice to not always have to rely on my Ma for everything when it comes to childcare,” said Andy.

“But she is a lifesaver when you do need a sitter,” said Sharon.

“That she is,” replied Andy as he smiled at Sharon.

“So, where is Francesca tonight?” asked Sharon.

“Oh, she’s having a girl’s night with her friend, Beth,” answered Andy.

“Oh, that sounds like fun,” said Sharon.

“Yeah. She deserves it,” said Andy.

“It’s nice that you have a good relationship with her,” said Sharon.

“We do. It was a little rocky while I was drinking. I think she saw a lot of my dad in me and that upset her a lot. Once I vowed to quit drinking though, she’s been there for me ever since,” said Andy.

“God, I hope Ricky doesn’t follow in his father’s footsteps. That sounds like it was probably really difficult for her,” said Sharon.

“I hope so, too. For both of your sakes. Believe me when I say it’s not an easy road to go down,” said Andy.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what was it like being an alcoholic?” asked Sharon.

“I don’t mind that you ask about it. I’m pretty open about it nowadays. First of all though, no matter how long I’m sober, I’m still and always will be an alcoholic. That’s just how it works. It’s just about managing my temptations and urges to drink. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t wish I could have a drink after a difficult day. That’s what got me in trouble in the first place though. One drink after work would turn into five or more. Plus, there are too many important things and people in my life that keep me from wanting to give into that temptation. That and AA is what saves me every day. I go to meetings at least twice a week still to this day. It’s not always easy with my work schedule and the kids, but I make time to go because I wanna be the best father and son and man I can be for them and for myself. Because if AA has taught me anything it’s that I deserve better than drinking my life away,” explained Andy.

“Wow. That’s such a powerful story. You should be proud of the life you’re living now,” Sharon told him.

“I am, but I’ve learned never to be complacent or too comfortable with my sobriety. That’s when a lot of guys fall off the wagon,” said Andy.

“That’s understandable,” said Sharon.

“If you don’t mind me asking, has Jack ever tried AA?” asked Andy.

“Oh, yes. Many times. He’d always give up soon after he started though. He’d lie about going sometimes, but I’d eventually find out the truth of where he really was. Usually with some 20 something secretary of his,” said Sharon.

“Oh, man. That’s rough. You deserve better than that,” Andy told her.

“I know,” said Sharon meekly.

“If you know you deserve better, then why do you stay married him?” asked Andy.

“That’s a bit of a personal question, don’t you think?” posed Sharon.

“No more personal than the one you just asked me,” retorted Andy.

“True…I guess the main reason is because I’m Catholic and they don’t exactly believe in divorce. I just don’t wanna be looked at differently nor have my kids looked at differently because I’m divorced. You know how judgmental some people can be,” said Sharon.

“I know I’m only one person, but I’m Catholic and I wouldn’t look at you differently. Hell, if Sandra had lived, I’d most definitely be divorced. It’s not that different,” said Andy. 

“Forgive me for sounding blunt, but it’s not the same. People look at you with sad eyes because you lost your wife and your kids lost their mother. They’d look at me like I failed somehow because I couldn’t keep my husband around,” explained Sharon.

“I’m sorry. It was insensitive of me to make it sound like our situations are the same. I understand where you’re coming from. I just…I just wish people could see that your marriage failing isn’t on you, but on Jack and his refusal to get help for his addictions. I hope you at least see that,” Andy told her.

“I do… most of the time. I’m not perfect either though, Andy. I have my faults,” said Sharon.

“We all do. That doesn’t mean you should shoulder the blame for what happened between you and Jack. I’m sure what he did to you far outweighs anything you might have done to him,” said Andy.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” replied Sharon.

“Hell, if you wanna know more about how to deal with a drunk husband, just ask my Ma. I’m sure she’d be glad to talk to you about it if it would help you somehow,” said Andy.

“That’s nice. Thank you,” Sharon told Andy as she faintly smiled at him.

“Let’s go watch The Lion King and forget about this bullshit,” suggested Andy.

Sharon cracked an even bigger smile at Andy before she said to him, “Sure, but be warned, there’s some bullshit in this movie too.”

“Great. Can’t we just have a happy ending?” asked Andy as they walked towards the living room.

“It does have a happy ending. It’s just got some sad parts in between,” Sharon told him as they sat down on the couch as the children lay on the floor watching the movie intently.

“I hope so,” said Andy as they turned their attention to the movie.

Sharon wasn’t really focusing on the movie though. She was thinking about how good of a guy Andy had showed himself to be tonight.

She didn’t know why, but it surprised her, and maybe even made her feel a twinge of something.

What that something was she wasn’t quite sure yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this latest chapter! Feel free to leave a review if you so feel inclined. Thanks to everyone who's been reading this story! I always enjoy reading your comments to see what you think of this story. Thanks for reading & reviewing! Both are greatly appreciated!


	8. Confession Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will a girl's night at Francesca's and a talk with Father Stan bring for Sharon? Will it bring her clarity or leave her more confused than ever?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blah Blah Blah. I don't own Major Crimes or any of it's characters. Only Francesca is mine. Also, this is a shorter chapter, but one I felt needed to be written to bridge the gap between the events of the last chapter and what I have in store for future chapters.

Francesca had invited Sharon over to her house for a girl’s night while Andy watched all the kids at his.

Sharon had a sneaking suspicion she knew what this was all about, but she also knew Francesca to be a kind and gentle person.

So, she dropped the kids off at Andy’s and drove the few miles to Francesca’s small Spanish bungalow. 

As she knocked on the door, the door opened and Francesca’s welcoming smile greeted her.

“Hello, dear. Come in. Come in,” Francesca told her.

“Thank you,” said Sharon as she stepped inside.

“How are you?” Francesca asked her.

“I’m doing alright. Just busy with work and the kids and their activities. You have a very nice house,” Sharon told her.

“Oh, thank you, dear. It’s small, but big enough for me and a few guests from time to time,” responded Francesca.

“So, I assume Andy talked to you about what I talked to him about last week,” said Sharon bluntly.

“Yes, he did. He thought talking to me about it might help you. We don’t have to talk about any of that if you’d prefer not to,” said Francesca kindly.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just a little complicated is all,” said Sharon.

“Well, I’m good with complicated and we’ve got the whole night to talk,” Francesca pointed out.

“You’re right. Where to start though,” said Sharon.

“Try the beginning, dear. It gives context,” Francesca told her.

“Okay. Well, Jack and I married shortly after we both finished college. The deal was I would work and pay his way through law school and he’d do the same for me. So, I figured a job in law enforcement might be a good opportunity for me to learn the law and see it in action. Needless to say, things didn’t go according to plan,” began Sharon.

“What do you mean, dear?” asked Francesca.

“Well, we’d planned on having one child to start and maybe another after I finished law school. Ricky was a wonderful, but unexpected surprise. Unfortunately, when I was pregnant with Ricky, that’s when things started to get really bad. Jack was constantly coming home drunk or staying out all night at one LA bar or another and god knows where else,” said Sharon.

“Was he ever out with other women? Because that’s something Andy’s father did quite a bit,” said Francesca.

“Oh, yes. Usually with his latest secretary from whatever law office he was working at,” Sharon told Francesca.

“Oh, that’s terrible, dear. I’m so sorry you had to go through that and still are,” said Francesca.

“Can I ask you something?” Sharon asked her.

“Anything, dear,” Francesca told her.

“How did you get up the courage to leave him as a Catholic woman? Especially in your time,” said Sharon.

“It certainly wasn’t easy. People judged a lot more back then. It eventually came down to one question: Did I want my kids surrounded by that? The answer was of course no, but I still struggled to make the decision because of the Catholic Church’s stance on divorce,” said Francesca.

“See, that’s where I’m struggling. Because it’s not like I want to be married to him anymore or have my kids exposed to that sort of behavior. It’s just the judgment and the stance on divorce I worry about. I don’t ever want my kids exposed to that sort of judgment because of a decision I chose to make,” said Sharon.

“Well, I think the church is a lot more accepting of the fact that there are sometimes extenuating circumstances and reasons why people choose to get divorced. Sure, you’ll always have a few old timers who might say something, but for the most part, I find that people are a lot more understanding when I tell them that I’m divorced and tell them why,” explained Francesca.

“Really?” asked Sharon.

“Really, dear. If you’re still struggling though, go talk to Father Stan. He’s always willing to listen and dispense advice,” suggested Francesca.

“I might just do that. Thank you for talking to me. I thought this might be a little awkward, but it really wasn’t,” said Sharon.

“It’s good to talk about these sorts of things. It helps you feel less alone,” said Francesca.

“It really does,” agreed Sharon.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
A few days later, Sharon had asked Francesca to take the kids for a few hours so she could go to confession and talk to Father Stan.

After she stepped into the patron side of the booth and sat down, she said, “Forgive me father, for I have sinned. It has been three weeks since my last confession and in that time I have been thinking about divorcing my husband.”

“Do you mind if I ask why? I mean I know your story, but what’s changed? Have things gotten worse somehow?” asked Father Stan.

“No. I have received counsel from some fellow patron’s about my situation and it’s just got me thinking,” answered Sharon.

“What does your heart want?” asked Father Stan.

“I don’t know. I’m so confused, Father. I want my children to have a father, but he doesn’t seem interested in being one. I’ve come to terms long ago that I don’t want him as a husband or for my kids to be around the sort of environment he brings with him when he drinks. I just don’t wanna be the black sheep of the congregation I guess,” explained Sharon.

“Now, for privacy reasons I can’t divulge names, but there are plenty of people in our congregation who are either divorced or thinking about divorce. Just like you,” said Father Stan.

“I know, Father, but I’m scared of being alone. How am I supposed to do it all alone?” asked Sharon.

“Are you not already doing so?” posed Father Stan.

“Well, yes. I guess you’re right,” replied Sharon.

“Plus, you’re never truly alone, Sharon. You have a whole congregation of people to lean on in tough times and God is always here for you. Remember that,” Father Stan told her.  
“Thank you for that reminder, Father. I desperately needed to hear it,” said Sharon.

“If you take anything from today’s confession, let it be this question: What does your heart want? Once you can answer that question, the answer to all your questions will become easier to see,” said Father Stan.

“Thank you, Father,” replied Sharon before exiting the confessional.

On the drive home, Father Stan’s question kept echoing in her mind. What did her heart want? Was her destiny to be a single mother doing things on her own or did God have other things in store for her? 

Only time would be able to tell her that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading this latest chapter and sticking with me through this story! Your reviews make me smile and I thoroughly enjoy reading what you have to say about this story.


	9. Thank God & Good Riddance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Andy gets called out on a case and Francesca is sick, Sharon takes Nicole and Brandon for the night. What will the kids and Sharon get up to on this Saturday night at home? Lots of fun of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own MC or any of it's characters except Francesca. Blah Blah Blah. Anyways, this is sort of a choppy chapter, but I wasn't sure how else to write it to keep the story moving. Hope you enjoy it!

It was a Saturday night and Sharon was enjoying a quiet night in the tub with a glass of wine and a bubble bath.

Meanwhile, the kids were downstairs playing Mario Kart when the phone rang.

Sharon picked it up and said, “Hello.”

“Hey, Sharon,” said Andy from the other end of the line.

“Andy, you sound worried. What’s up?” asked Sharon.

“Listen, I have a huge favor to ask of you. My Ma is sick with a cold again and I just got called to roll out on a double homicide. Could you possibly take Nicole and Brandon for the night?” asked Andy.

“Of course. Bring them on over. I’d be glad to take them,” Sharon told Andy as she got out of the tub.

“Okay, I’ll be over in about fifteen minutes. Thanks, Sharon,” Andy told her.

“No problem. See you, then,” said Sharon as she hung up the phone.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, Andy dropped off the kids at Sharon’s.

In her black leggings and an oversized LAPD t-shirt, she asked the kids, “Who wants to make cookies?”

The girls chorused with, “I do! I do!”

“Okay, let’s leave the boys to their Mario Kart and we’ll go in the kitchen and make cookies,” explained Sharon.

“What kind, Sharon?” asked Nicole.

“Chocolate chip,” answered Sharon.

“Yum,” echoed both Nicole and Emily.

Sharon got together the ingredients they’d need to make cookies and let the girls take turns dumping ingredients into the bowl after she’d measured them.

“This is so fun, Sharon. Daddy never does this with us,” said Nicole.

“Maybe cookies just aren’t his thing. He does make some good pancakes though, doesn’t he?” Sharon asked the girl.

“He makes the best pancakes,” Nicole told her.

“They are really good,” said Emily.

“Yes, they are,” said Sharon.

“I wish my mommy was still here. Then she would do this stuff with me,” said Sharon.

Sharon’s heart broke for the girl at those words.

“Do you miss your mommy?” Sharon asked her.

“Yes and no. I don’t remember her a lot, but I wish she was here to paint nails and make cookies and for other girl stuff.” said Nicole.

“Well, I’m definitely not your mom, but any time you wanna do girly stuff, I’m here for you,” Sharon told Nicole.

“Thanks, Sharon,” said Nicole.

“Can we paint nails after the cookies are done?” asked Emily.

“Only if Nicole wants to,” said Sharon.

“Yes!” exclaimed Nicole.

“Alright,” said Sharon as the girls began rolling out the cookies.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After the cookies were done, Sharon painted the girl’s nails and then her own. Nicole chose purple nail polish and Emily chose pink, while Sharon went for a nice nude color on her nails.

Soon enough, their nails were dry and the girls were falling asleep on the couch, while the boys had fallen asleep while playing Mario Kart.

Sharon took the controllers out of their hands and put them up after shutting off the Nintendo 64.

She then went to her quilt rack and grabbed some blankets over the boys before grabbing two more and draping them over the girls on the couch. 

Sharon then made sure that all the doors were locked and grabbed the cordless phone in case Andy called.

She decided to fill the tub up again and finish the bath she’d started earlier.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
A few hours later, Sharon was dressed in her black leggings and an oversized blue LAPD T-shirt and lying in bed reading her book when the phone rang.

“Hello?” said Sharon.

“Hey, it’s me,” said Andy.

“Hey, Andy,” greeted Sharon.

“My case is almost wrapped up. Should I come get the kids tonight or in the morning?” asked Andy.

“Just come get them in the morning. They’re all passed out in the living room sleeping right now,” Sharon told him.

“Alright. How were they?” asked Andy.

“They were fine. The boys played Mario Kart while the girls and I baked some chocolate chip cookies and then I painted their nails and mine,” explained Sharon.

“Sounds like the perfect night,” commented Andy.

“Nicole did bring up her mom though and how she wished she was here to do girl stuff with her,” said Sharon.

“That’s weird. She almost never brings up Sandra. I think her memories of her are hazy anymore,” said Andy.

“Maybe. I just thought I’d bring it up to you. I think it just naturally came up because we were baking and stuff,” Sharon told him.

“Okay. Maybe I’ll have a talk with her about it tomorrow and make sure she’s okay,” said Andy.

“All I told her is that I’m not her mom, but any time she wants to do girl stuff, I’m here for her,” explained Sharon.

“That’s nice. Thank you. You didn’t have to do that,” Andy told her.

“It’s no trouble. Really. She needs a woman influence in her life. I mean I know Francesca is around a lot and stuff, but sometimes having a younger woman in her life she can relate to can be nice too. I know I loved doing that kind of stuff with my mom when I was her age,” said Sharon.

“I never really thought about it that way. I mean I do the best I can and my Ma does too, but you’re right about her having a younger girly influence. We can’t do everything, I guess. Thank you, again,” Andy told her.

“I’m happy to do it, Andy,” Sharon told him.

“Still. Anyways, I guess I’ll come by around seven and pick up the kids. Goodnight,” said Andy.

“Goodnight, Andy,” Sharon told him before they hung up.

Sharon couldn’t help but be reminded of Father Stan’s question at this moment and she thought it odd.

What did her heart want?

The answer still wasn’t completely clear to her, but the warm feeling she felt when talking to Andy made her feel good.

She just wasn’t sure if that’s what her heart wanted at this stage of her life.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Around 7am, Andy showed up to pick up the kids.

“Hey,” said Sharon as she opened the door for him.

“Hey,” said Andy.

“Come on in. The kids are just finishing up their cereal,” Sharon told him as they walked through the living room to the kitchen.

“Okay,” said Andy as he followed her into the kitchen.

“Want some coffee?” asked Sharon.

“Yeah. Thanks,” said Andy.

Sharon poured Andy a mug of coffee and asked, “Black, right?”

“Yes. Thank you,” said Andy as he accepted the mug.

Meanwhile, Sharon sipped on her own mug and marveled at how natural the scene before her felt. 

She missed having a real family atmosphere for her children.

That much she knew.

She just didn’t know if her heart was strong enough to take on any sort of relationship with a man at this stage of her life.

Jack had hurt her pretty badly, and if she was being honest, it had left her jaded where the concept of love was concerned.

She knew one thing for sure at this point though.

She was done being married to him.

With that, she went into the rest of her day, with every intention of calling her good friend, Gavin, who was a lawyer, that night, and consulting with him about drawing up divorce papers.

She knew what his reaction would be and frankly it mirrored her own.

Thank god and good riddance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for your continued readership and reviews! I'm eternally grateful for both! Merry whatever you celebrate this time of year!


	10. Something More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a crazy week, Sharon and Andy finally reconnect and the kids even have a sleepover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill. I don't own any of the characters except Francesca. Blah Blah Blah. Also, forgive me if this chapter skips around a bit. I'm just trying to push the story along.

Sharon had consulted her friend Gavin Q. Baker about drawing up divorce papers to serve Jack with.

First though, they had to find him.

Gavin used one of his best private investigators and he was able to locate Jack’s place of residence in Las Vegas.

So, with that, Gavin drew up the divorce papers and had Sharon sign a copy before sending them off for Jack to be served with them.

That was two days ago.

Now, startled out of a deep sleep around midnight, Sharon heard a loud banging on the door and yelling outside the house.

She quickly grabbed her gun and quickly put it behind her back when the kids wandered into her room, scared and awoken as well.

“Mommy, who’s outside yelling? I was sleeping,” said Emily.

“It’s nobody. I’m just going to go downstairs and see what’s going on. You two can stay in my bed and watch TV until I get back,” said Sharon as she switched the TV on to drown out some of the noise.

Sharon quickly grabbed the phone as well and went downstairs to see who she was almost sure was Jack outside and see what he was doing and how drunk he was.

As she peeked through the curtains of the front window, Jack saw her and immediately started yelling over and over, “Sharon, let me in!”

Sharon immediately shut the curtains and grabbed the phone. She didn’t wanna call him, but it was her best chance for things to stay discreet.

The phone rang a few times before Andy answered groggily, “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Sharon. Listen, I know it’s late, but I’ve got a bit of a situation over at my house right now,” Sharon told him.

“What kind of situation?” asked Andy concernedly.

“Jack showed up. I had him served with divorce papers a few days ago and he’s drunk and pissed and yelling in front of my house right now,” explained Sharon.

“I’ll be over in ten minutes,” Andy told her as he got up and started getting dressed.

“Thank you, Andy. I’m sorry it’s so late,” said Sharon.

“Don’t apologize. It’s his fault, not yours. Are the kids okay?” Andy asked her.

“They heard the yelling, but they don’t know its Jack outside. I turned the TV on in my room to drown out the noise,” Sharon told him.

“Okay, I’m leaving now. The kids are staying the night at my mom’s. I’ll see you in ten,” said Andy before they hung up.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Ten minutes later, Andy pulled up in front of Sharon’s house and saw a drunken Jack stumbling around and yelling.

He quickly got out of his car and yelled, “Hey!”

“Who the hell are you?” asked Jack.

“The police,” said Andy as he walked towards the man.

“Sharon! You called the police! You bitch!” slurred Jack.

“Come on, buddy. Let’s go,” said Andy as he tried to grab Jack’s arm to handcuff him.

“What are you doing? Who are you? You gotta be screwing her if she called you to help her,” accused Jack.

“Nobody’s screwing anyone except you right now,” said Andy as he finally got a hold of Jack and handcuffed him before throwing him in the back of his squad car.

With that, Andy got in his car and drove Jack to the jail to sober up in the drunk tank.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
A week later, Sharon and Andy see each other at St. Joseph’s.

It’s the first time they’ve seen each other since the night of the incident at Sharon’s house.

Andy tells his kids to go ahead and go to class and Sharon does the same as they awkwardly walk towards one another.

“Hey,” said Andy.

“Hey,” replied Sharon with her head down.

Andy reaches under Sharon’s chin and lifts her head up until her eyes meet his and said, “What’s wrong? Has Jack come back? Because you know I can take care of him again if he’s bothering you.”

“No, he hasn’t come back, thankfully. I’m just embarrassed,” Sharon told him.

“Why are you embarrassed? Like I told you last week, none of this is your fault,” Andy told her seriously.

“I know. It’s just embarrassing to have to call one of my good friends to come over and deal with my drunk ex,” said Sharon.

“I was glad to do it, Sharon. Especially if it spares you and the kids any more heartbreak,” Andy told her genuinely.

“I guess I should thank you for coming over and helping out with that situation,” said Sharon.

“Like I said, it’s not a problem. I was glad I could help,” said Andy.

“Well, I should be going,” said Sharon.

“Me too, but will you do one thing for me? Will you please come to lunch with me this afternoon? We can meet at that deli up the street from the PAB. I’ve missed talking with you,” admitted Andy.

“Okay. I’ve missed talking to you too,” revealed Sharon.

“Okay. Reuben’s at 2pm?” asked Andy.

“Reuben’s at 2pm,” agreed Sharon.

With that, they both parted ways and headed for their respective divisions at the PAB.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Around 2pm, Andy showed up at Reuben’s Deli.

A couple minutes later, Sharon walked into the deli and Andy waved her over to the table he was sitting at.

“What did you get?” asked Sharon.

“Ham sandwich on wheat,” said Andy.

“That sounds good. I might just get the same thing,” said Sharon before she walked off towards the counter to place her order.

A few minutes later, Sharon came back to the table with her sandwich and lemonade.

“So, how have you been since the whole Jack debacle?” asked Andy.

“Well, his behavior just reinforces my decision to divorce him,” Sharon told him.

“Yeah,” replied Andy.

So, how are Nicole and Brandon? I’ve missed seeing them,” said Sharon.

“They’re doing good,” answered Andy.

How about Francesca? I’ve really missed talking with her,” mentioned Sharon.

“She’s good. Busy, but good. Don’t think you can dodge my previous question though. How are you really doing?” asked Andy.

“I don’t know. It depends on the day. I’ve just got so many different emotions circling around in my head right now. It’s hard to tell sometimes. One minute I’m angry and frustrated and the next I’m sad and on the verge of tears,” Sharon told him.

“Well, I’m sorry you’re feeling that way. You know you can talk to me whenever, right?” Andy asked her.

“Yeah. I think I just need to sort out some of my own feelings first before I talk about it with anyone,” said Sharon.

“Well, I’m here for you whenever you’re ready to talk,” Andy supplied before dropping the subject.

“So, Emily and Ricky have been begging to have another sleepover with Nicole and Brandon for weeks now. Are they busy this weekend?” Sharon asked Andy.

“Nope. We don’t have any plans,” answered Andy.

“Great. How about Saturday night?” proposed Sharon.

“Saturday sounds great,” replied Andy.

“Great. It’ll give you some time to yourself. Maybe you can go hang out with your partner or something and then join us for breakfast,” suggested Sharon.

“Sounds like a plan,” replied Andy as he finished his sandwich and Sharon continued eating hers.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The week flew by and Saturday night arrived before either Sharon & Andy could blink.

There was a knock at the door to Sharon’s house and she peeked through the peephole to see that it was Andy and the kids.

She opened the door and greeted them with a “Hey guys!”

“Hi Sharon!” greeted Emily with a hug.

“Hey Sharon,” replied Brandon.

“You guys can take your stuff upstairs. Ricky and Emily are in their rooms,” Sharon told the kids as they ran off to find Ricky and Emily.

“Hey,” said Andy as he stood in the doorway.

“Hey. Do you wanna come in for a minute or do you have plans?” asked Sharon.

“Actually, Provenza and I are gonna go play some pool and watch the Dodger’s game on TV,” announced Andy.

“Sounds like fun,” said Sharon.

“Yeah. Do you play?” Andy asked her.

“Oh, no. It just sounds like you have a fun night planned,” Sharon told Andy as she smiled at him.

“Yeah. Speaking of a fun night, what do you and the kiddos have planned for tonight?” asked Andy curiously.

“Pizza and movies and video games and maybe baking some muffins to go with breakfast tomorrow morning,” said Sharon.

“Speaking of breakfast, what time would you like me to show up tomorrow morning?” asked Andy.

“Around 7:30am, if that’s not too early,” said Sharon.

“Nope. Sounds good to me. I’ll see you then. Goodnight, Sharon,” said Andy as he turned to head back to his car.

“Goodnight, Andy. Have fun with Provenza,” Sharon told him.

“I will,” replied Andy before he got into his car and drove off.

Meanwhile, Sharon shut the door with a strange feeling in her stomach. It wasn’t a bad feeling, though. Just one she hadn’t felt in quite a while. Almost like butterflies.

She shook it off though as nothing though as she went to call and order the pizzas.

In the back of her mind though, she questioned if it really was nothing or something more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for continuing to read and review this story. I know I've been flaky at times, but I really do love this story and what it's becoming and your reviews truly mean the world to me and keep me going!


	11. Good Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy comes over for breakfast and he and Sharon find themselves in an awkward stage of their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own any of the characters except Francesca. You get the point.

The following morning found Sharon up with the kids around 7am.

The girls wanted to help Sharon with breakfast. So, while they did that, the boys watched Power Rangers on TV.

“So, what shall we have for breakfast besides the blueberry muffins we made last night?” Sharon asked the girls.

“Waffles!” exclaimed Emily.

“And bacon too!” added Nicole.

“What about some scrambled eggs to go along with it?” suggested Sharon.

“Yeah!” exclaimed both of the girls.

Firstly, they needed to make the waffle batter. 

Nicole added the waffle mix and the oil and Emily added the water and egg to the mixture.

Sharon stirred it all together before pouring a bit of mix onto the waffle iron and closing it to cook.

Next, was the bacon which Sharon elected to do herself because of the hot popping grease.

Finally, the girls worked on the scrambled eggs. Each of them cracked three eggs into a bowl before Nicole added the milk. 

Emily stirred the eggs in the bowl before she poured the mixture into a pan under Sharon’s watchful eye.

“You wanna stir them around for me, Nicole?” Sharon asked the girl.

Nicole nodded her head yes and Sharon handed the girl a spatula.

Just as they were in the middle of everything, the doorbell rang.

“Emily, can you go get the door for me? It’s probably just Andy,” Sharon told her daughter.

“Sure,” Emily ran off excitedly towards the door and opened it.

“Andy!” exclaimed Emily as she opened the door and hugged him.

“Hey!” replied Andy as he hugged the girl back.

“Come on in. We’re making waffles, bacon, and eggs,” Emily told Andy as he walked inside and shut and locked the door behind him.

“Sounds delicious,” replied Andy as they walked towards the kitchen.

“Daddy!” exclaimed Nicole as she sat the spatula down and ran over to hug her dad.

“Hey, ladybug,” replied Andy as he hugged his daughter before she returned to stirring the eggs in the pan.

“Hey,” said Sharon as she flipped the bacon.

“Hey. Anything I can help you with? You look like you’ve got your hands full with these two munchkins,” Andy pointed out.

“If you wanna check and see if the waffle in the waffle maker is ready and pour some more batter into it, that’d be great,” answered Sharon.

“Okay,” replied Andy as he jumped right in to help.

A few minutes later, the eggs were done and Sharon said, “Girls, why don’t you go play for a few minutes while Andy and I finish getting breakfast ready.”

The girls obliged and ran off to Emily’s room to play Barbie’s.

“Alone at last,” joked Andy.

Sharon chuckled at his remark before she said, “Yeah, I guess so.”

“So, how were the kiddos last night? I hope they were good for you,” said Andy.

“Oh, they were fine. The girls and I made blueberry muffins and the boys entertained themselves playing video games and watching movies most of the night,” responded Sharon.

“Yum. Blueberry muffins are my favorite,” said Andy.

“Nicole mentioned that. They’re also my favorite too,” revealed Sharon.

“There’s one more thing we have in common,” said Andy as he smiled at Sharon.

“Guess we’re not so different after all,” said Sharon awkwardly.

“At this point, I’d even classify us as pretty good friends,” replied Andy.

“It’s nice to have a friend. Not that I don’t have friends. It’s just when you work in FID-” Sharon began babbling before Andy stopped her.

“I get it. In your job, it’s not easy or always possible to make many friends,” replied Andy understandingly.

“Yeah,” replied Sharon as she looked down and smiled to herself at Andy’s understanding.

Soon enough, Andy reached over and brushed a strand of Sharon’s hair out of her face.

“You had a-” stuttered Andy.

“Thanks,” Sharon tightly smiled at him.

“Well, the waffles are ready,” Andy told her.

“The bacon too,” replied Sharon.

“You get the girls and I’ll wrangle the boys away from the TV?” suggested Andy.

“Deal,” replied Sharon as she walked upstairs to find the girls and Andy went to get the boys.

A few minutes later, everybody was seated at the table and loading their plates up with breakfast food.

“These muffins are delicious, girls,” said Andy to Emily and Nicole before making eye contact with Sharon for a moment.

“These two did most of the work. I just supervised and handled the oven,” replied Sharon as she eyed Andy in askance.

Andy quickly directed his eyes back to his plate. 

God he was so rusty at this. Plus, Sharon seemed a little weirded out by his attempts at flirtation.

“So, Andy, how was pool with Provenza?” Sharon asked him.

Andy quickly snapped out of his reverie and replied, “It was good. I won sixty bucks off him.”

“I don’t know him, but something tells me he probably wasn’t happy about that,” said Sharon.

“You’d be correct. He’s a good friend, but rather grumbly about a lot of things. Especially when it comes to losing money. He loses enough of that to his ex wives,” mentioned Andy.

“Ex wives as in plural?” Sharon asked him.

“Yeah. He’s got a couple ex-wives he likes to complain about,” said Andy.

“Interesting. It sounds like his reputation precedes him,” said Sharon.

“Definitely. He just ended up drowning his sorrows at the bar and I drove him home. As per usual,” said Andy.

“Sounds like you’re two peas in a pod as far as being grumpy is concerned,” commented Sharon.

“I’ll have you know I have a cheery disposition,” Andy defended himself.

“Maybe, but it’s undercut by your sarcastic undertone,” Sharon lightly accused.

“You know me a little too well it sounds like,” Andy joked self deprecatingly.

“Maybe,” replied Sharon as she smiled at him.

Now Andy couldn’t tell if Sharon was just being nice or if she was flirting with him too.

This whole navigating a friendship or something more thing was tricky. 

There should be some sort of manual for this sort of thing.

Not that he would read it anyways.

The rest of the meal found Sharon and Andy in companionable silence with one another as the kids talked about school and their various activities. 

Every once in a while though, each would steal glances at the other when they weren’t looking.

Both of them knew this was just trouble waiting to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everybody who has commented or left kudos on this story! Your support for this story is valuable to me and keeps me going as a writer.


	12. Hell of a Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy gets his five year chip and Francesca, Sharon, and the kids have a little party to celebrate his accomplishment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blah Blah Blah. Don't own any of the characters except Francesca. You get the point.

A few weeks later found Sharon at Francesca’s house helping to decorate the living room with the kids and getting food ready in the kitchen.

Tonight, Andy was getting his five year chip at AA for being five years sober and the women thought it would be a great idea to have a little party to celebrate that accomplishment.

The thing was Andy had no idea they were doing this.

Sharon had come over with the kids after Andy had dropped his kids off at Francesca’s while he went to his meeting.

As Sharon continued decorating the living room with streamers, she had the boys scattering balloons all over the floor and the girls had been coloring a banner that said, “Happy Five Years Andy!” in bubble letters drawn by Sharon.

“Are you girls almost done coloring that banner? Andy’s going to be here soon,” Sharon reminded them.

“Yeah, we’re on the last letter and the exclamation point,” Nicole told her.

“Okay. I’m gonna go see if Francesca can take a minute to help us put it up,” said Sharon as she walked towards the kitchen.

“How’s it going in there?” Francesca asked Sharon as she walked into a kitchen.

“The boys have managed to scatter the balloons I blew up everywhere and the girls are just putting the finishing touches on the banner. Speaking of that, can you give me a hand putting it up real quick?” Sharon asked her.

“Sure, but first taste this Bolognese sauce,” Francesca told Sharon as she held out a spoon with some sauce on it.

Sharon tasted the sauce and said, “That’s really good.”

“I made it tonight because it’s Andy’s favorite,” said Francesca as she sat the spoon down on the counter and went to go help Sharon hang the banner in the living room.

A few minutes later found the banner hung up in the living room and the women admiring it.

“You girls did a wonderful job on this banner. It’s beautiful!” exclaimed Francesca.

“Mommy did the letters. We just colored it,” said Emily.

“Well, what a great team effort,” Francesca congratulated them.

“And you boys did a great job scattering the balloons around for me,” Sharon told them.

“Thanks,” said Brandon.

“It was fun,” piped up Ricky.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

“Quick, let’s hide behind the couch so we can surprise Andy,” Sharon told the kids while Francesca went to answer the door.

As Francesca answered the door, the first thing out of Andy’s mouth was, “Ma, what’s Sharon’s car doing here? Does she have to go in? Cause if so, I can take the kids for you.”

“Oh, Andrew. It’s nothing like that. Why don’t you come in and ask her yourself,” suggested Francesca as she opened the door wider for him to enter.

Andy walked inside and as soon as the door closed behind him, Sharon and the kids jumped out from behind the couch and yelled, “Surprise!”

“Surprise? For me?” Andy asked the kids.

“Yeah!” they all chorused.

“For what?” asked Andy.

“For your fire chip,” said Ricky.

Andy chuckled for a moment before he said, “I think you mean five year chip, bud.” 

“Oh,” replied Ricky bashfully.

“What’s a five year chip?” asked Emily.

“Uh…” Sharon trailed off in a bit of a panic.

“Do you mind?” asked Andy as he looked at Sharon.

“No. Go ahead,” replied Sharon.

“It’s this,” replied Andy as he handed it to Emily for a moment.

“What’s it for?” asked Emily.

“Do you know what alcohol is?” asked Andy.

“Isn’t that like the wine Mommy drinks sometimes?” asked Emily.

“Well, it comes in many types, but yes it’s like the wine your Mommy drinks sometimes. Well, some grownups have trouble with drinking too much alcohol and those people are called alcoholics,” explained Andy.

“Like Daddy,” Emily blurted out.

Andy looked to Sharon for a little help.

“Yeah, like daddy. Except Daddy doesn’t have a five year chip like Andy does,” explained Sharon.

“Why not?” asked Emily.

“Well, you get the chip you’re holding by going to a place called AA or Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s a place for grownups to go and talk about their troubles with alcohol and to help them stay sober, which means they don’t drink alcohol. Today marks five years since the last time I drank alcohol. So, they gave me that chip,” answered Andy.

“And Daddy doesn’t have a chip like that because he doesn’t go to AA like Andy does. That’s why we’re having this party for Andy. Because we’re proud of him for not drinking,” replied Sharon as she smiled at Andy.

“Oh. Okay,” said Emily, seemingly satisfied with Sharon and Andy’s answers.

“Come on, Emily. Let’s go play in the playroom. The boys are already in there,” said Nicole.

“Okay. Let’s go!” exclaimed Emily.

“Wait a minute, dancing queen. Give Andy back his chip,” Sharon encouraged her.

“Oh, right. Here, Andy. Bye!” exclaimed Emily.

“You two handled that beautifully,” Francesca told them.

Sharon jumped with a start. Not knowing Francesca was standing there listening in the entire time.

“Thanks,” replied Sharon bashfully.

“I’ve had some practice,” explained Andy.

“Still. You two made a great team on that one,” said Francesca.

“Thanks, Ma,” replied Andy, a little embarrassed at the phrasing of her comment.

“So, how’s the Bolognese coming?” Sharon asked Francesca in an effort to change the subject.

“Oh, it’s done. I’ve just got to cook the pasta,” answered Francesca.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After dinner, the kids played for a while before falling asleep. 

Francesca made sure to enter the playroom quietly and cover each of them with blankets.

Meanwhile, Sharon and Andy were out in the backyard talking about various topics.

“You should be really proud of that chip, you know,” said Sharon.

“Yeah. It’s just the costs of my drinking that still get to me sometimes,” admitted Andy.

“Like what?” asked Sharon curiously.

“Missing a lot of my kids firsts because I was out at the bar instead of home with them. Also, and probably most painfully, is Sandra’s accident,” said Andy.

“I don’t know the whole story, but I know enough to know it wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t you driving that car that night that sent her into a traffic pole,” Sharon told him.

“No, but it should have been me going out to get groceries that night. She only did it because I was working late,” revealed Andy.

“Oh, Andy. I know it’s hard, but you can’t blame yourself for that. Things happened how they happened and unfortunately we can’t change that,” replied Sharon tenderly.

“Yeah, I know. It’s just something that floats around in my mind this time of year. My sobriety date is so close to her death date that the two sometimes intertwine in my mind,” explained Andy.

“Well, how about a change in subject then?” suggested Sharon.

“Please,” said Andy.

“Jack finally signed the divorce papers. Gavin got them yesterday,” Sharon told him.

“That’s great!” exclaimed Andy.

“Yeah. At this point, I don’t care what got him to sign. Just that he did. It means this nightmare is almost over,” said Sharon.

“Well, if you’re glad then I’m glad for you,” said Andy.

“I’m still having some mixed feelings about it all. It’s like I don’t love him anymore, but I wish he was still around for the kids. You know?” asked Sharon.

“I get that. It’s the least he could do at this point. The thing with that though is if he’s still drinking, you probably don’t want them around him much,” said Andy.

“Yeah. I just wish things were different and I wasn’t going through all of this,” said Sharon as she began to cry.

“Hey. Come here,” said Andy as he pulled her into his arms.

They sat there like that for a few minutes before Sharon lifted her head slightly until their lips were mere inches from each other’s.

The feelings and the chemistry between them was palpable, but Sharon turned her head away from Andy.

“It’s late. I should probably go,” said Sharon awkwardly.

“Yeah. Me too,” said Andy as he stood up and extended his hand out to help Sharon up off the back step.

“Thanks,” said Sharon before she turned to go back inside the house with Andy following right behind her.

“So, the kids are all asleep in the playroom. You’re both more than welcome to stay the night if you want.

“I think I’m just gonna head home with the kids. I’ve got work tomorrow and they’ve got school. It’ll just be easier in the morning, but thank you for the offer,” said Sharon.

“I’ll help you get them in the car,” offered Andy.

“Okay. Thanks,” replied Sharon.

Sharon took Ricky while Andy grabbed Emily as they headed for Sharon’s car. They got the kids strapped in the back seat before quietly shutting the doors.

“Goodnight, Andy,” said Sharon.

“Goodnight, Sharon. Be careful,” Andy told her.

“I will,” Sharon smiled at him.

As Sharon pulled out of the driveway, Andy couldn’t help but be confused by the mixed signals Sharon was giving him.

One minute she was pumping the brakes and the next she was smiling at him.

Andy figured most of that had to do with Jack and her mixed feelings surrounding the divorce though.

He’d give her all the time she needed.

That still didn’t keep him from smiling like an idiot though whenever he thought of her, which was becoming more and more often and was beginning to be more than just platonically.

As he turned to go back into Francesca’s house, he knew one thing for sure: Sharon Raydor was one hell of a woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for your continued support of this story through comments and kudos and just your overall excitement for this story! It truly means the world to me!


	13. Cheers and Good Riddance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharon enjoys a night out with her friend, Gavin. They discuss everything from Jack to marital freedom and everything in between.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own any of the characters except Francesca. You get the point by now.

Finally, after months of heartache and stalling tactics from one Jackson Raydor, Sharon’s divorce was final.

Divorce wasn’t really something to celebrate, but Gavin had invited Sharon out to a local wine bar while the kids were having a sleepover at Andy’s house.

After their first glass of red wine came, Gavin decided to propose a toast.

“Cheers to my legal handiwork and good riddance to one huge jackass,” said Gavin.

“Cheers,” said Sharon.

“Why so glum, sugar plum?” asked Gavin.

“I just have a lot on my mind,” replied Sharon.

“Well, spill. That’s what tonight’s all about,” said Gavin.

“Marital freedom definitely has its perks, but also its drawbacks,” began Sharon.

“Like what?” asked Gavin.

“Well, like tonight for example. The kids are at Andy’s and once I leave I’ll be going home to an empty house. It’s just weird,” answered Sharon.

“Hasn’t it been that way every other time they’ve had a sleepover?” asked Gavin.

“Well, yeah, but I wasn’t officially divorced then,” Sharon pointed out.

“You know how much I love the kids, but to me it sounds like it gives you some much needed time to yourself,” Gavin made a counter point.

“Yeah, but it can get lonely sometimes being in that big house by myself,” revealed Sharon.

“Personally, if I were you, I’d run a bath with a good bottle of wine. Then, I’d get a good book and an even better vibrator and just cut loose for a while,” advised Gavin.

“That does sound nice,” said Sharon.

“Then, do it, doll face. Stop holding yourself back. You did that enough when you were married to jackass. No more,” declared Gavin.

“You’re right,” Sharon told him.

“Cheers to that,” said Gavin as they clinked wine glasses.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The rest of the night found the talking about various subjects. 

Eventually, they decided to take a cab back to Sharon’s place.

Since they’d taken a cab to the wine bar, Sharon’s car was already in the driveway when they pulled up.

As they got out and headed towards the house, Gavin asked, “So, what about this Andy character?”

“What about him?” asked Sharon nonchalantly as she unlocked the door.

“Tell me about him!” Gavin urged her as they made their way towards the couch.

“Well, there’s really not much to tell. His kids go to the same school as Ricky & Emily. Ricky and his son are on the same baseball team together. The girls get along swimmingly as well,” began Sharon.

“What about you and him?” asked Gavin.

“What do you mean?” asked Sharon.

“Do you two get along well?” asked Gavin.

“Yeah. Pretty well anyways. He’s had his moments in the beginning though. He doesn’t like that I work for the “rat squad” or at least that’s what he calls it,” explained Sharon.

“Is he a cop?” asked Gavin.

“Yeah. He works for Robbery Homicide. We actually work in the same building, just different floors,” said Sharon.

“Ooh a workplace romance,” gushed Gavin teasingly.

“It’s not like that,” denied Sharon as she smiled at the thought of a romance with Andy.

“Why not? He sounds like a nice catch,” said Gavin.

“We’re just friends. That’s it,” said Sharon unconvincingly.

“I’m not convinced. Your smile when I suggested a workplace romance tells me otherwise,” said Gavin.

“I did not smile,” shot back Sharon.

“You totally did, Sugar Plum. Now spill,” ordered Gavin.

“Okay. Lately, things have been starting to change between us. We smile at each other all the time. Recently, he tried brushing my hair out of my face while we were making breakfast for the kids. Plus, he says these things and I’m not sure if he’s just being nice or flirting with me,” rambled Sharon.

“Like what?” asked Gavin.

“Well, he joked that we were alone at last after I sent the girls out of the kitchen to go play. He made light of the fact that we both love blueberry muffins. Then, he was all of a sudden acting all understanding about my job and stuff,” said Sharon.

“Maybe he’s just gotten to know you better and likes what he sees,” ribbed Gavin.

“Stop it! I don’t even know if that’s what I want. I just got divorced for goodness sake,” said Sharon.

“Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just saying if you were looking for something, this guy seems like the whole package,” said Gavin.

“He has his flaws, I assure you,” said Sharon.

“Like what?” asked Gavin.

“Well, he’s a recovering alcoholic, for one,” said Sharon.

“And that scares you because of your baggage with jackass,” Gavin pointed out.

“It doesn’t scare me, necessarily. Like, obviously I trust him with my kids. That’s not a problem,” said Sharon.

“But you have trouble trusting him with your heart,” said Gavin.

“Yeah. I’m just scared it’ll end in heartbreak like my last relationship did. I mean Andy’s been sober for five years, but falling off the wagon would be all it would take for me to run,” said Sharon.

“Let me ask you something. Do you trust him as a person? Not just with your kids, but really trust him,” asked Gavin.

“I mean, yeah. Generally speaking, I do trust him,” answered Sharon.

“Well, if you trust him, then you have to find a way to trust him with his own sobriety and trust that his reasons for being sober are enough for him not to drink,” Gavin pointed out.

“I guess you’re right. I’m just not there yet,” said Sharon.

“And that’s okay. Maybe that will come with time,” Gavin comforted her.

“God I hate Jack so much right now. He’s affecting my life even now that he’s no longer in it,” said Sharon.

“Well, that’s what ex-husbands and ex-boyfriends are for, honey. Despising. I should know,” said Gavin.

You have gone through a few boyfriends since I met you,” Sharon pointed out.

“So, at my age, I should be an expert by now,” said Gavin.

Sharon laughed at that before she said, “Thanks.”

“For what?” asked Gavin.

“For listening and for giving me advice on this whole Andy situation,” said Sharon.

“No problem, Sugar Plum. That’s what friends are for,” said Gavin.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Gavin ended up leaving around midnight.

Sharon decided to take some of his advice and grabbed the book from her nightstand before going to run a bath for herself.

Then, she went downstairs in her robe and poured herself a glass of wine and took it back upstairs.

Now that the bath was about half full, she poured in some of her favorite lavender bath oil before also adding a generous amount of bubble bath as well.

As she waited for the bath to completely fill, she sipped slowly on her wine and read a couple pages of her book.

Once the tub was filled, Sharon turned the water off and shed her robe and set the wine glass and her book on the corner of the tub before climbing in and sinking down into the warm suds.

When she was settled, she grabbed her book and continued reading and slowly sipping wine for the next hour or so.

As she let the water out and got out of the tub, Sharon put on her pajama pants and an old and baggy LAPD t-shirt and climbed into bed to read a little longer.

She was a little distracted by her thoughts of Andy though. Would it feel like this to wear one of his LAPD or Dodgers t-shirts?

Sharon leisurely shook those thoughts from her head though. She wasn’t in a place to think these kinds of thoughts about Andy.

Or was she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read this chapter and have continued to review this story while I'm writing it. Both are much appreciated. Also, for the people who leave kudos, I see you and I appreciate you too!


	14. Punch. Drunk. Love.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy and Jack get into an altercation and things between Sharon and Andy finally come to a head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blah Blah Blah! Don't own any of the characters except Francesca. You get it.

Andy was walking out of Reuben’s Deli, when all of a sudden, a sucker punch hit him in the eye.

Andy turned to see who the offender was and saw that it was none other than Jackson Raydor.

Punches started flying in front of the deli, until the owner, Bruce came out and broke the two of them up.

“Enough!” said Bruce.

“Sorry, Bruce,” Andy apologized.

“This guy’s been screwing my wife for months. Of course, I’m gonna hit him,” yelled Jack.

“Ex-wife. Or did you forget you signed the papers jackass?!” retorted Andy.

“Enough! You both walk away now or I’m calling the police. Now get!” shouted Bruce.

“Sorry, Bruce. It won’t happen again,” said Andy as he walked one way and Jack walked the other.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“What the hell happened to you?” asked Provenza when Andy walked into the squad room with a black eye and a busted lip.

“Sharon’s ex-husband thought I was screwing her and hit me. It’s not a big deal,” Andy brushed him off as he headed towards the break room for some ice.

“Are you screwing her?” asked Provenza.

“No!” exclaimed Andy.

“Then why did he think you were screwing her?” asked Provenza.

“Because I showed up at her house in the middle of the night and arrested him for drunk and disorderly a few months back. How that means I’m screwing her is beyond me. He’s a deranged drunk who refuses to get help,” answered Andy.

“This Sharon sounds like trouble. I’d stay away from her if I were you,” Provenza inserted his opinion.

“Bullshit. She’s my friend. If I can keep that jackass away from her and the kids, I’m gonna do it,” said Andy.

“Whatever,” said Provenza as he walked away and back into the squad room to look up something.

He looked up Sharon’s name in the directory and saw she worked in the Force Investigation Division and thought to himself that Andy was in more trouble than he thought with this one.

He made the decision to go down a couple floors and talk to this Sharon Raydor gal because she had his partner in knots.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Meanwhile, down a few floors, Sharon was in her office doing paperwork when there was a knock on the door of her office.

“Hey Serge. There’s a Louie Provenza from Robbery Homicide here to see you,” said the officer.

“Send him in. Thanks, Kevin,” said Sharon as Kevin tried to lead Provenza in.

“I’ve got at least fifteen or twenty years on you, probie. I think I can lead myself into the Sergeant’s office,” replied Provenza gruffly.

Sharon thought to herself that this guy was just as gruff and grumpy as Andy had told her he was.

“How can I help you, Sergeant?” asked Sharon.

“You can help me by staying the hell away from my partner,” Provenza told her.

“I think Andy’s qualified to make his own decisions on whom he interacts with,” Sharon shot back.

“Not when it involves your ex-husband. He thinks the two of you are sleeping together!” exclaimed Provenza.

“I can assure you that’s not true. Not that it would be any of your business if we were,” replied Sharon matter of factly.

“Well, it becomes my business when my partner comes into the squad room after lunch with a black eye and a busted lip from your ex-husband,” retorted Provenza.

“What? When was this? Is he okay?” asked Sharon.

“Come upstairs and see for yourself,” replied Provenza as he left her office and headed for the elevators.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Instead of going up into Andy’s squad room and likely making a scene, she called him and told him to meet her at the top of the parking garage at 6:15pm.

Once Andy got off the phone, he said to Provenza, “You told her?!”

“What did you expect me to do? You’ve been acting weird lately and now this. I wish you’d just stay away from that woman. She seems like trouble,” Provenza told him.

“I think that’s my decision to make, don’t you think?” asked Andy.

“Fine. Do what you want. Just don’t come complaining to me if it all goes sideways,” said Provenza.

“Fine,” replied Andy grumpily.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Six fifteen came around and Andy went to go meet an already waiting Sharon at the top of the parking garage.

As he walked towards her, she looked at his face horrified.

“Oh my god! He did this to you?” Sharon asked him, referring to Jack.

“Yeah. Whacked me in the eye as I was coming out of Reuben’s. Bruce had to break us up,” Andy told Sharon.

“Us? Meaning you were both fighting?” questioned Sharon.

“Yeah,” said Andy nonchalantly.

“I don’t need you getting in fights for me. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself,” Sharon told him.

“I know that, Sharon, but if it keeps his drunk ass away from you and the kids, I’m willing to take a few hits,” Andy told her.

“I don’t need you for that, Andy! I can handle Jack myself!” exclaimed Sharon exasperatedly.

“I didn’t start the fight Sharon, but I sure as hell was gonna finish it!” yelled Andy.

“Are you listening to anything I’m saying Andy? I don’t need you to defend my honor or whatever this is,” Sharon told him.

“Sharon, he thinks we’re screwing!” yelled Andy exasperatedly.

“So what?! Let him think whatever he wants. Just don’t let him goad you into another fight. Are we clear?” asked Sharon.

“No, we’re not clear. I don’t regret what I did and I’d do it again if provoked,” Andy told her.

“Provenza was right. You’re acting totally out of character lately,” an incensed Sharon told him.

“I did it for you,” Andy told her calmly.

“You what? How many times have I told you that I don’t need you for that?!” exclaimed Sharon.

“Then, what do you need me for?!” Because I’m tired of playing this in between game with you,” Andy told her exasperatedly.

“What are you talking about?” Sharon asked him concernedly.

“This in between friends and something more game we’ve been playing for months. Let’s just be honest. I care about you. A lot more than I should and definitely as more than a friend at this point. You’re my best friend and every time something exciting happens, you’re the first person I wanna tell. When the kids have something exciting to celebrate, you’re the one I want to be there by my side. Hell, when the bad stuff happens, I want you there, too,” admitted Andy.

Sharon’s eyes look from one side of the parking garage to the other for an exit before she bolts her way towards the stairwell and to her car.

Meanwhile, Andy is left standing at the top of the parking garage alone and wondering what he just did.

Did he make the right decision to tell her how he felt or would it just push her even further away.

Only time would tell.

Or at least that’s what he told himself fifteen minutes later as he took the elevator down to the floor his car was parked on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for hanging in there with me through the trials and tribulations of this story so far. Your comments and kudos warm my heart and I see and appreciate every one of you (even the guests)!


	15. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week has passed with total radio silence from Sharon since Andy's confession. Will she call? And if she does, what will happen between these two confused lovebirds?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own any of the characters except Francesca. You get the picture.

A week or so passed with total radio silence from Sharon.

Andy was just starting to lose hope when the phone on his desk rang.

“Flynn, Robbery Homicide,” answered Andy.

“Hey. It’s me,” said Sharon.

“Hi, Sharon,” said Andy.

“Hey. Can we find a time to meet at your house with no kids? Maybe this weekend,” suggested Sharon.

“Yeah. How about tomorrow? We can just leave all of the kids with my mom,” replied Andy.

“Okay. What time is good for you” asked Sharon.

“How about around noon?” suggested Andy.

“Noon sounds great. I’ll see you, then,” said Sharon.

“See you then,” replied Andy before they hung up.

Now there was hope.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Noon Saturday arrived and Andy was furiously pacing the floor waiting for Sharon to come over when there was a ring of the doorbell.

Andy opened the door and greeted Sharon with an awkward, “Hey.”

“Hey,” replied Sharon.

“Come on in,” Andy told her as he opened the door wider for her to enter.

“Thanks,” replied Sharon as she walked inside and Andy shut the door.

“So, about last week...I’m sorry I blindsided you like that. I had no right to,” said Andy.

“Do you regret what you said?” asked Sharon nervously.

“Honestly, no. Sharon, I care about you. A lot. So, no I don’t regret saying what I said to you. Admittedly, the delivery could’ve been better, but-” replied Andy before he was cut off by Sharon kissing him.

They continued kissing there in the living room before Andy broke the kiss and said, “Wait a minute. Is this what you want? You and me. Together. Because I don’t wanna push you into anything you’re not ready for.”

“The short answer is yes. I’m finally ready. For you and me. Together,” said Sharon before she kissed Andy again.

Sharon felt Andy smile into the kiss, signaling that he understood.

They continued kissing lazily on the couch for a while before Sharon’s hands slid underneath Andy’s t-shirt.

Andy pulled away for a moment before he asked, “Are you sure? I’d be content just kissing you today if that’s all you wanted to do.”

“Andy, I want to jump you right now and I want you to make love to me. Is that clear enough?” asked Sharon.

“Yeah,” replied Andy in a daze.

“Is this what you want?” asked Sharon.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this,” Andy told her.

“I think I have a pretty good idea,” Sharon smiled at Andy as she returned to kissing him and snaking her hands underneath his shirt.

Andy did the same and the first thing he felt was Sharon’s soft skin underneath her shirt.

Both of them kept exploring bare skin until they couldn’t take the anticipation any longer.

Sharon shed Andy’s t-shirt and threw it somewhere across the room.

Andy followed Sharon’s lead and took off her shirt as well, revealing a black lacy bra.

“You really were ready for this, weren’t you?” asked Andy.

“I like to be prepared. Speaking of being prepared…” Sharon trailed off.

“Upstairs in the nightstand,” replied Andy assuredly, referring to the condoms in his top drawer.

“Maybe we should move the party up there,” suggested Sharon.

“Good idea,” Andy complimented her as they stood up from the couch and began walking upstairs, Andy’s hand in Sharon’s.

Once they got to the top of the stairs, Andy gently pushed Sharon up against the wall as he whispered, “Nice lingerie.”

“There’s more where that came from,” replied Sharon before Andy kissed her. 

Soon enough, Andy moved down to Sharon’s neck and chest area.

Meanwhile, Sharon fumbled with the button and zipper of Andy’s jeans. 

She finally got it undone and unzipped as Andy’s pants slowly fell to the floor.

He stepped out of them and kicked them aside as he pulled Sharon towards his bedroom while pushing down her leggings. 

Eventually, they fell to the floor and were kicked aside as well on the way to Andy’s bedroom.

“Why am I not surprised that they match?” Andy asked rhetorically.

“Just for you,” whispered Sharon as she kissed Andy and led them towards the bedroom.

Once they were inside, Andy pulled Sharon towards the bed until her knees hit the mattress and she gently fell onto it.

Sharon giggled and Andy didn’t think he’d heard a more beautiful laugh before.

“Come here, silly,” Sharon laughed at Andy’s slight daze.

“You just have a beautiful laugh,” Andy told her as he climbed on top of her.

Sharon giggled once again before Andy began kissing her chest and fumbling with her bra.

“Haven’t undone one of these in a while,” Andy commented.

“It’s okay. Take your time,” Sharon encouraged him as he finally got it undone.

Andy threw the bra to the side without looking where it landed. He was too busy looking at Sharon’s body.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Andy told her. 

Sharon blushed at his compliment before she smiled and said, “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

Andy smiled into the kiss he gave Sharon before lavishing attention on her breasts, finding Sharon’s sensitive spots that made her moan.

He returned to Sharon’s neck, leaving little love sucks and bites that were sure to bruise by tomorrow.

After a while of Andy kissing her neck, Sharon flipped them over until she was on top of Andy.

“Huh. I think I like this view better,” Andy told Sharon as she straddled him.

Sharon smiled before she said, “Me too.”

Andy reached for the top drawer of his nightstand where a box of condoms were. 

He grabbed one before he asked jokingly, “Wanna do the honors or should I?”

“I’d love to, but you’re a little overdressed,” Sharon told him.

“Well, we can fix that,” replied Andy as he quickly shed his boxers.

“Impressive,” said Sharon as she smiled awkwardly at Andy.

“Thanks,” replied Andy just as awkwardly as Sharon began to sheath his penis.

Once the condom was on, Andy’s thumbs hooked into the sides of Sharon’s black lace panties and slowly pulled them down before Sharon kicked them off across the room.

“Come here,” Andy told Sharon before he kissed her tenderly.

They continued kissing for a couple minutes before Sharon, feeling his erection, said, “Somebody’s ready.”

“Yeah….” Andy trailed off awkwardly.

“Nothing to be ashamed of. I’ll warn you though, it’s been a while for me,” Sharon told him.

“Me too,” replied Andy.

Sharon gently grabbed Andy’s penis and lined it up with her entrance.

Once inside her, Sharon slowly slid down onto it.

“Mmhmm” hummed Sharon.

Andy laughed at her cute hum of pleasure before he asked, “You ready?”

“Yeah,” replied Sharon before Andy flipped them over until he was on top once again.

“Sneaky,” Sharon told him a little breathlessly.

Andy responded by kissing Sharon as his hips began a slow thrusting pace towards Sharon’s entrance.

“Uh huh. Right there,” Sharon told Andy as their lips broke apart and his thrusting went a little deeper.

Andy continued thrusting in and out of Sharon.

“Oh yeah. Right there,” Sharon directed Andy as he hit her g-spot.

Andy decided that was his new target as he continued thrusting a little quicker.

“Oh my god. Yes!” exclaimed Sharon.

Andy, sensing Sharon was getting close, quickened his pace.

“Yes! Yes!” yelled Sharon.

Andy could feel his release coming too as Sharon’s inner walls tightened around him.

He made one final thrust and Sharon trailed off, “Oh, Andy! Yes! Yes! Yes…..”

Andy found his release as well when Sharon tightened around him and called Sharon’s name as he came.

A couple minutes passed as Sharon and Andy caught their breath.

Andy slowly pulled out of Sharon before he rolled over to the other side of the bed and pulled her on top of him.

“That was some really great sex,” Sharon told him with a smile.

“Yeah, it was,” replied Andy with a shit eating grin on his face.

Sharon laughed into Andy’s chest at how proud he seemed of himself.

“What’s so funny?” asked Andy before he kissed the top of Sharon’s head.

“You’re just so proud of yourself,” Sharon told him.

“So what?” asked Andy.

“Nothing. It’s just really cute,” Sharon told him before placing a kiss against his chest.

Andy’s hand fell to rest on Sharon’s hip and stayed there as the two spent lovers fell asleep.

All was well in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for continuing to read and review and sending kudos. Your love for this story is what fuels me as a writer. Stay safe out there my friends!


	16. A Little Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharon and Andy are a little embarrassed when Francesca finds out about them. Afterwards, Sharon and Andy discuss their relationship and when to tell the kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own anything except the lovely Francesca. Y'all get it by now.

The previous night, Andy called Francesca and asked her to keep all the kids overnight, citing that both he and Sharon had caught cases.

Of course, Francesca could read between the lines of the lie her son told her, but nonetheless agreed to keep the kids overnight.

That morning, Andy woke up around 7:30am with Sharon in his arms.

He stared at her for a moment before she said, “I can feel you staring.”

“Do you blame me?” asked Andy as he traced circles on Sharon’s bare back.

“No, but I guess this means we’re awake now,” Sharon told him as she rolled over.

“I guess so. Good morning,” said Andy before he leaned over to kiss Sharon’s lips.

“Good morning,” replied Sharon before she deepened the kiss.

They sat there kissing and touching for a few minutes before Andy broke the kiss and asked, “Want some breakfast? I’ve been told I make some mean pancakes.”

“Coffee and a pancake sounds good,” replied Sharon.

“You and your one pancake obsession,” joked Andy.

“Love it or leave it, buddy,” Sharon told him.

“I love it,” replied Andy before he gave Sharon one last peck before slipping some sweatpants on and heading to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Sharon took the opportunity to use Andy’s toothbrush and brush her teeth before washing her face with some cold water.

Once that was done, Sharon went downstairs in one of Andy’s Los Angeles Dodgers t-shirts and joined him in the kitchen.

Sharon slipped her arms around Andy’s middle from behind as he stirred the pancake batter.

“You smell minty,” Andy told her.

“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind. I used your toothbrush,” Sharon told him.

“No, I don’t mind,” replied Andy.

Sharon placed a kiss against his bare back and smiled.

“You wanna whip us up some scrambled eggs to go with the pancakes?” suggested Andy.

“Sure,” replied Sharon as she let go of Andy to go get the eggs out of the fridge.

Sharon cracked three eggs into a bowl and mixed in a little milk before grabbing a pan and pouring them in while turning the burner on.

“Looks good,” Andy told Sharon a few minutes later as he pulled a pancake out of the pan.

“Me or the eggs?” Sharon asked him teasingly.

“Both. Definitely both,” replied Andy before he kissed Sharon’s shoulder.

Sharon giggled at that before she said, “Good answer.”

“Nice shirt too. Did you steal that out of my drawer?” asked Andy teasingly.

“Yeah. I wanted something comfy to wear and I’ve been dreaming about wearing one of your t-shirts,” admitted Sharon.

“For how long?” Andy teased her.

“Nevermind that. Focus on your pancakes before they burn,” Sharon told him with a sly smile.

Andy pulled the pancake out of the pan before pouring more batter in to make a third one.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and they both froze.

“Are you expecting anyone?” asked Sharon.

“No. Hold on. I’ll go get it. It’s probably just a salesperson or something,” Andy told her as he headed for the door.

“Ma, what are you doing here?” asked Andy as he opened the door.

“Well, good morning to you too Andrew,” said Francesca.

“Where are the kids?” Andy asked her, panicked. 

“In the car. Why don’t you entertain them while I go get some clothes for Nicole and Brandon?” suggested Francesca.

“But Ma-” said Andy before Francesca cut him off.

“Andrew, don’t think I don’t know what parents do when the children are away. I’m not stupid,” Francesca told him teasingly.

“Ma, it’s not what you think-” Andy tried to say before Francesca cut him off.

“I think it’s exactly what I think and I’m happy for you two. Hello, Sharon,” greeted Francesca as Andy left to go entertain the kids.

“Hi, Francesca. This is embarrassing,” Sharon came out of the kitchen in Andy’s t-shirt.

“Oh, don’t be embarrassed, dear. You two deserve to have a little fun sometimes,” Francesca told her.

“Well, thank you,” Sharon told Francesca.

“If you wanna give me the key to your house, I can go get some clothes for Ricky and Emily too,” offered Francesca.

“That’d be great. Let me just dig them out of my purse real quick,” said Sharon as she began rummaging through her purse.

“Take your time, dear. I’m gonna go get some clothes for Nicole and Brandon anyways,” Francesca told her before heading upstairs.

A few minutes later, Francesca wandered into the kitchen and got the house key from Sharon before going to rescue Andy from the kids.

Once Francesca was gone, Andy came back into the kitchen and said, “I’m sorry. I should have sent them with some clothes.”

“Don’t apologize, Andy. It’s fine. At least the kids didn’t come barging in. That would’ve created a whole other set of questions that I’m not ready to answer yet,” said Sharon.

“Speaking of that, when should we tell the kids about us?” asked Andy.

“I think we should wait a couple weeks at least. The divorce is still so new to them and even though this is a good change, it’s still a change in their lives. You understand, right?” Sharon asked him.

“Yeah, totally. So, a couple weeks, then. What do we do in the meantime?” asked Andy.

“Stick to nightly phone calls and maybe one date before then.”

Okay. I can deal with that. As long as you let me plan the date,” Andy told her.

“Deal,” replied Sharon before she snaked her arms around Andy and kissed him.

Andy intensified the kiss and lifted Sharon onto the counter as he continued kissing her.

Sharon opened her legs and then wrapped them around Andy’s torso so he could come closer to her.

They continued kissing for a few minutes before Sharon said, “We should eat. I’m famished.”

“Me too. Part of me wants to just say screw it though and go back to bed,” admitted Andy.

“Well, we should eat first and then maybe we can go back to bed for a while,” Sharon told him.

“You sure do like your deals, don’t you?” asked Andy as he grabbed both his and Sharon’s plates and set them on the table.

“It is part of my job,” Sharon told him as she got off the counter.

“Figures,” replied Andy jokingly as he smiled at Sharon.

“I can leave,” Sharon told him.

“No. This is the only real time besides our date that we’ll get together for the next two weeks,” said Andy.

“True,” replied Sharon.

Andy brushed his foot against Sharon’s calf as they ate their breakfast.

Sharon smiled at the contact.

They continued in companionable silence as they ate their breakfast.

After breakfast, Sharon and Andy went back to bed and made love one last time before Sharon had to leave and they had to go get the kids.

It was gonna be a long two weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed this short chapter! Thanks for continuing to read and review! Both are greatly appreciated! Just to let you know, we're nearing the end of this story (in 3-4 chapters). I'm eternally grateful to all of you for your reviews & kudos! It keeps me going as a writer. So, thank you!


	17. Whole Hearted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharon and Andy tell the kids about their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own any of the characters except Francesca. Y'all get it by now.

Almost two weeks had passed and Sharon and Andy talked on the phone nearly every night.

Tonight, Andy was coming over with Nicole and Brandon so that he and Sharon could tell all the kids about their relationship.

Sharon was in the kitchen putting the baked ziti in the oven when the doorbell rang.

“Emily, Ricky, the Flynn’s are here,” Sharon yelled up the stairs before going to answer the door.

As Sharon opened the door, she smiled at Andy for a moment before she said excitedly, “Hey guys!”

“Hi, Sharon,” said Nicole as she gave Sharon a hug.

“Hey, Sharon,” said Brandon.

“Come in. Have a seat on the couch,” Sharon told them as she shut and locked the door.

“Ricky, Emily, come sit on the couch with Nicole and Brandon. Andy and I have something we need to talk to all of you about,” Sharon told her children.

The kids obeyed and sat on the couch while Andy stood next to Sharon in front of the kids.

“What is it? Did somebody die?” asked Nicole.

“No. Nothing like that, sweetie. Thank goodness,” replied Sharon as she made the sign of the cross across her chest.

“Then, what is it?” asked Brandon.

“Well, how would you guys feel if Andy and I were together?” began Sharon.

“Like married?” asked Brandon.

“No, son not married. Maybe eventually though,” replied Andy as he looked at Sharon.

“Would we all live in one house?” Nicole asked.

“Not right away. Maybe in the future though,” answered Sharon.

Suddenly, Emily got up and ran off towards the stairs and towards her room.

“Emily,” Sharon tried to coax her back to no avail.

“I’ll go talk to her. She’ll tell me what’s wrong,” Nicole told Sharon.

“Okay. I’ll be up in a couple minutes,” Sharon told Nicole.

As Nicole went upstairs, Sharon and Andy focused their attention on the boys.

“Do you guys have any questions?” asked Andy as he grabbed Sharon’s hand for support.

“Are Brandon and I gonna be brothers?” asked Ricky.

“Maybe eventually. We’ll be living in separate houses for now though,” Sharon explained.

“Cool,” said Brandon.

“Awesome!” said Ricky.

“So, you’re okay with Sharon and I being together?” Andy asked them.

“Yeah, it doesn’t bother me,” said Brandon.

“Me either. I think it’s cool,” said Ricky.

“Okay. You two can go play now,” Sharon told them.

The boys headed upstairs to play while Sharon and Andy turned towards each other.

“I should go check on Emily,” Sharon told Andy. 

“Do you want me to come with you?” asked Andy.

“No. I think it’s best if I go alone this time. You understand, right?” Sharon asked him.

“Yeah, totally. Just thought I’d offer,” replied Andy.

Sharon gently squeezed Andy’s hand before heading upstairs to check on Emily.

As she made her way towards Emily’s room, she heard Nicole talking to her.

“It would be so cool for you to have my dad as your dad and your mom as my mom. We could be like sisters.” Nicole told Emily.

“Yeah, but I miss my Daddy,” said Emily.

It was at that point that Sharon decided to step into the room.

“Nicole, sweetie, would you mind giving Emily and I a minute to talk?” asked Sharon.

“No, I don’t mind. I’ll go see what the boys are up to,” said Nicole as she ran off to check on the boys.

“So, I hear you miss your daddy,” said Sharon.

“Yeah,” replied Emily.

“It’s okay to miss him, you know,” said Sharon.

“I know. It just stinks that he’s not here,” said Emily.

“I agree. It does stink. I wish he was here for you and Ricky too,” admitted Sharon.

“But not for you?” asked Emily.

“No. That’s why we got divorced, honey,” said Sharon.

“Because he’s an alcoholic?” asked Emily.

“That was certainly a big part of it,” replied Sharon honestly.

“But Andy’s an alcoholic too,” replied Emily.

“Yes, honey, but he’s what they call a recovering alcoholic. Which means he doesn’t drink alcohol anymore and hasn’t for five years,” explained Sharon.

“So, what’s the difference besides that he doesn’t drink alcohol?” asked Emily.

“Well, for one, he treats you and your brother right. Two, he treats me really good and I like that a lot. Plus, I trust him with you two and my heart, which are kind of the same thing,” said Sharon.

“You trust him with your whole heart?” asked Emily.

“Yeah, I do. It took me a while to do that though. So, I’ll understand if it takes you a while to warm up to the idea of Andy and I being together,” Sharon told Emily.

“I like Andy just fine. Do I have to call him daddy though?” asked Emily.

“Not if you don’t want to. You can just call him, Andy,” replied Sharon.

“Okay,” said Emily, seemingly satisfied with Sharon’s answers.

“Why don’t you go find Nicole while I go talk to Andy?” suggested Sharon.

“Okay,” replied Emily as she went off to find Nicole.

Meanwhile, Sharon headed back downstairs and found Andy watching a basketball game.

“Hey, you,” said Sharon as she gently squeezed Andy’s shoulder from behind the couch.

“Hey. How’s Emily?” asked Andy concernedly as he turned the game off.

“She’s better. She misses Jack and thinks it stinks that he’s not here. I agree, at least for their benefit,” replied Sharon.

“It does stink that he’s not here for them,” said Andy.

“Yeah. She was also concerned about you being an alcoholic and I had to explain to her the differences between you and Jack and how you treat me and the kids much better than Jack ever did and that I trust you with my whole heart,” explained Sharon.

“Really? You trust me with your whole heart?” asked Andy teasingly, but still on a serious note.

“Completely and without question. It’s the main reason I was able to rationalize us being together in the first place,” admitted Sharon.

“That’s nice to know. Thank you for your trust. I can’t promise you that I won’t test that trust, but I can promise to be the best man I can be for you and the best father I can be to those kids. It doesn’t mean I’ll always be perfect though,” Andy told her earnestly.

“I know that. Life has many challenges and not all of them we can anticipate. I have faith that we can get through them together though,” Sharon told him.

“Together sounds kind of nice,” replied Andy.

“Yeah, it does,” said Sharon before she kissed Andy.

A chorus of “Ewww’s” came from the staircase and they barely broke apart before kissing again to another round of “Ewww’s” from the children.

What a sweet life this was and would continue to be in the future.

It may take a village, but their village was the most beautiful one of all.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we've come to the end of this story. Thank you to every single person who reviewed or gave kudos to this story. It has certainly been a journey.


End file.
